Falling II: The Curse of the Bat
by Lelila
Summary: Robin and Starfire have a happy relationship. But when Robin has to deal with something from his past, will it doom their happiness? Sequel to Falling. You probably don't have to read that first, but this will make more sense if you do. RobStar.
1. On the Sofa

Disclaimer: Teen Titans belong to DC Comics, not me.

Updated 7/27/2008

_Chapter 1: On the Sofa_

It was nearly dawn when Cyborg returned from patrol. Deciding it was too late to go to bed and too early to make breakfast, he headed toward the sofa to flip some channels and maybe catch some news. Unlike Robin and Beast Boy, who usually hopped over the back of the sofa (something Starfire was known to do as well, though she usually flew over), Cyborg's bulk required him to walk around to the front. When he got there, the sight that met his eyes froze him in his spot.

For what felt like forever, he refused to believe it. Not on _his_ sofa. No. He was seeing things, right?

What took him so long to comprehend was Robin and Starfire asleep on the sofa. But not just asleep; _naked_ and asleep.

Starfire was on her back, her red hair spilling over the cushions. Robin lay in her arms, his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck, his arm conveniently tucked over her chest and under her shoulder. Robin's cape covered them from the waist down; one of Starfire's long legs hung off the edge of the cushion while Robin's big feet stuck out from beneath the corner of his cape. A glance around revealed clothing on the floor, the ends of the sofa, and…was that Robin's athletic supporter on the coffee table??

"Ahhhh!!" Cyborg yelled, reality finally settling into his brain. "Tell me you did not have sex on the sofa!!"

The slumbering lovers started from their sleep. Starfire's green eyes swiveled toward him and her brow wrinkled. "Um…we did not have the sex on the sofa?"

"Cyborg!" Robin yelped. He started to push himself up, but quickly lay back down, obviously realizing he was the only thing covering the topless Starfire. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Me? This is Ops, man! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" Cyborg shot back. He then held out a hand and literally backpedaled a step. "Wait…don't' answer that."

Robin reached over Starfire and grabbed a pillow, careful to keep her covered. He threw it at Cyborg, but his aim and thrust were poor due to his position. "Will you get out of here?!"

Cyborg easily sidestepped the ammunition. "Hey man, I'm not the one that got naked in the living room."

"But, Cyborg," Starfire blinked. "You do not wear any clothing. Does that not make you naked?

"Technically. But my stuff ain't hangin' out. What the hell…!" He turned away as Robin grabbed another pillow, shoved it between himself and Starfire and proceeded to sit up, arranging his cape around his waist as he did so. "Don't be lettin' her hang out like that!" Cyborg admonished. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Starfire still lying on the sofa, the pillow across her chest and her skirt still around her hips. Robin sat with her feet in his lap, underneath his cape. He dug around in the couch cushions, coming up with his mask after several seconds and reaffixing it to his face, somewhat crookedly.

"Will you just get out of here!?" Robin yelled when he saw Cyborg's glance, firing another pillow, this time hitting him in the side of the head.

"Look, you guys," Cyborg swatted the pillow away, "I think it's great you're together. I'm even okay with the fact that you're sleeping together. But…the sofa…! You don't do this every time you're alone in here, do you?"

"This is the first time we have done anything more intimate than the 'making out' here on the sofa," Starfire replied.

"For everybody's sanity, please make it the last," Raven monotoned from behind them.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Robin demanded, snapping his head around.

"I was on my way to the Observatory for my morning meditation when I heard the commotion."

Robin dropped his face into his hands, his neck and ears turning crimson. "I just hope Beast Boy doesn't decide to get up early this morning."

"We shall endeavor to be more discreet, Friends," Starfire placated, swinging her legs around and sitting up, the pillow falling into her lap.

"STARFIRE!" Cyborg and Robin yelped at once, Cyborg spinning around to face away from them and Robin diving after the dropped pillow, his cape slipping down and revealing his behind in the process. He thrust the pillow into Starfire's arms and commanded her, "Hold this!"

Starfire looked hurt. "Robin, why are you yelling at me?"

Before he could answer, Raven spoke up. "Um…Robin."

"What?!" Robin whipped his head around to look at her only to find that she had turned away too.

"Your cape," she replied without turning back.

Robin looked down to see just how much of his "assets" had been exposed, growled and sat back up, pulling his cape back around his waist. "I'm sorry I yelled, Star," he bit out. "But…we're naked."

"No, you are naked. I still have my skirt on."

Robin screwed his face up in frustration. "But you're still topless…"

"You often go shirtless when you are training and our friends see you."

Robin's face had long ago turned red and the color was creeping down his neck onto his shoulders and chest. "But I'm a guy."

"Why should that make a difference?"

"It's considered unseemly for a woman to bare her breasts in our culture," Raven broke in, saving Robin. "It's terribly sexist, but, considering that breasts are looked on much more as objects of sexual desire than for what their true function is, well…it's better to cover yourself."

"Thank you, Raven," Robin muttered without turning around.

"Come on, Cyborg," Raven said, floating toward the door. "Let's give them a few minutes to get dressed."

Cyborg glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Starfire, at least, was sufficiently covered before turning around and giving Robin a pretty disgusted look as he walked past.

Once the door cycled shut, Robin went slack against the sofa and groaned.

"Robin?" Starfire queried.

"I shouldn't have let you talk me into this," he grumbled without looking at her.

Starfire's shoulders fell. "I am sorry. I merely wished to…"

He cut her off with a hand on her knee, looking up at her and smiling softly. "The things I go through for you."

She looked at him quizzically, but he just leaned over and kissed her softly. "Cy was right," he said, running a finger around her jawline, "we should keep this in private quarters."

She pouted for a moment, but then grinned coyly. "It was fun, though, was it not?"

Robin knew that grin, and returned it. "It was…beyond fun." He sat back up. "C'mon, let's get dressed."

Starfire hummed a disappointed note, but tossed the pillow aside and went looking for her top.

"So…do women really go topless on Tamaran?" Robin asked as he pulled his shirt back on.

"It is acceptable in certain situations for both genders to be shirtless."

He watched her as she refastened her neckplate. "How come you never have?"

"Well…in my efforts to fit in on my new planet, I have noticed that most people wear shirts, so I have done so as well."

"And when you were on Tameran?"

She shook her head. "I was too young before…before I left. Children are always well covered to protect them from the elements."

Robin sat down to lace up his boots. "So…what situations are acceptable for women to go topless?"

"At certain festivals," Starfire replied, pulling on her gauntlets. "In battle. It is considered very brave for either sex to go into battle with no chest plate. Younger women sometimes go shirtless in everyday life, but that is usually considered immodest once she becomes a mother."

"Really," Robin commented, clasping his cape around his neck. He couldn't help the smirk that crept onto his face.

Starfire caught it. "Do you wish for me, a young woman who has not yet become a mother, to be shirtless more often?" Robin's smirk was reflected on her own features.

Starfire saw his smirk turn a bit evil. He took a step and put his hands on her hips, pulling them against his own. "Yes," he growled, looking down into her eyes. He'd just noticed in the past couple of days that he'd finally gotten to be taller than she was, if only by an inch or so. "But…I think you'd be too distracting that way…to me, to Beast Boy and Cyborg, and definitely to the city at large. So…" he sighed, pulling her in for a hug, "I think you'd better keep yourself covered up."

"Except, perhaps, in our room? I will make a point of being shirtless in there more often." She giggled.

Robin laughed. "If that's possible. You're shirtless in there pretty often as it is." He drew back and took her face in his hands, kissing her softly before resting his forehead to hers. "C'mon, let's go make breakfast for everybody." He stepped back, letting his hands slide down her arms.

"Oh! May we have zorkaberry pancakes?"

Robin smiled again, this time simply at the joy he took in Starfire's personality. "Sure."

* * *

Hello! Here it is, the much-anticipated sequel to _Falling_. This chapter is just a fun little bit of nothing to kind of remind everybody where we are. (There's actually a part that comes before this, but it's way M-Rated. If you're old enough, go check it out at _A Night at Wayne Manor and Other Cut Scenes from Falling II._ It's up now!) There's much, much, much more to come; we've barely started. A lot of the next chapter is already written, so look for that soon. And don't forget to review…the muse works harder when she knows she's loved!

UPDATE: Yes, I rewrote a lot of this chapter. I got a review from Kryalla Orchid, who is the Goddess of Teen Titans fanfic, IMOHO at least, that pointed out that Robin wasn't terribly in-character in the original version, and, as much as I hate to admit it, she was right. I realized after I read that that I need Robin to be in a different place at this point in the story. When I conceived this scene it was more of a one-shot, but as I started to construct this story, I realized that this would be a good opener. However, I didn't stop to take into account what's going to happen after this when I decided that. So…while the original version is probably a lot funnier and I had to lose some good lines, this one is more what I really need for the story at large. But, fear not! The original version's up over in the Cut Scenes!

Back to writing chapter 2….


	2. Communications

_Teen Titans_ are (c) DC Comics. Do I look like DC Comics? Didn't think so.

_Chapter 2: Communications_

It was shopping day. Once every two weeks, on Thursday morning, the Titans would head into Jump City to the closest MegaMart to do their grocery shopping. There was a master list that Cyborg normally took care of, but the teammates all had their own personal wants and needs, and thus came along to shop for themselves. The store was usually pretty quiet at that time, and they were generally able to shop without being bothered.

Robin and Starfire were currently examining the produce. Starfire was gently squeezing the kiwis to see if they were mushy enough for her taste. Robin drew up beside her, juggling a lemon, a lime and a tangerine. _"**Citron…Kalk…mandarina…**"_ He named them as he tossed them, changing languages with every throw.

Among his many talents, Robin had a gift for languages. He'd grown up speaking French and Russian along with English, and once Batman had learned that, he'd set about teaching the boy all of the languages that he knew. Robin had picked up Spanish and German pretty easily, and had learned quite a lot of Japanese, Cantonese and Mandarin by the time he and Batman had parted ways.

Not that he was the only multi-lingual Titan. Raven spoke German, Sanskrit, Romanian, Latin and Ancient Sumerian, or was able to read them, anyway. While the only language Cyborg really "spoke" was English (and a handful of Tameranian curse words he'd picked up from Starfire), he had a translation and phonetics program that worked on most of the Earth's major languages. And Beast Boy…well…Beast Boy had problems with English some days.

But Starfire had them all beat. Tameranians were able to acquire languages through skin contact. As a result, Starfire knew at least parts of the all of the languages spoken by everyone she'd ever touched. The longer the contact lasted, the more language was transferred. More intimate contact seemed to help as well; kissing, sexual contact, etc. Tameranian scientists theorized it had something to do with the number of nerves that touched, and there are a lot of nerves in the lips. Starfire had acquired quite a bit of English that fateful day when she'd grabbed Robin and kissed him; it was the language he spoke most often, indeed, it was the language he thought in. But she'd picked up bits and pieces of all the other languages he spoke too, and until the two of them had started touching more frequently and intimately, she sometimes mixed some non-English words into her conversations without realizing what she'd done.

But since they had become a couple, Starfire had gained use of all of the languages that Robin spoke, in fact, she actually seemed to remember the rules a bit better than he did. Oddly though, her use of slang had not really improved; that she still needed to learn through actual use.

Robin was thrilled that he was able to use his linguistic skills again. He and Raven sometimes exchanged a few words in German, but it always felt weird. But with Starfire, it was a delight. It allowed him to loosen up a bit around her when others were around. He flirted across the breakfast table with her in Japanese, muttered to her about personal things in Russian while at the mall, shouted orders to her and Raven in German while on the practice field, whispered romantic things to her in French while they made love in the dark.

In an attempt to take this "secret language" scheme of theirs even further, Robin had started learning Tameranian. And he was doing well…up to a point. Because of their ability to learn other languages through touch, modern Tameranian was a mish-mash of many other languages. It had rules and grammar like any tongue, but there were many, many exceptions, and Robin was having a hard time remembering all of them. Still, he tried hard and encouraged Starfire to talk to him in her nativespeak.

Which is what she did now. _**"Upistrfpomh yjrdjpeomhpgg,"**_ she admonished him.

Robin let the fruit fall into his hands. "Wait…I'm doing what?"

"You are doing the showing off," she repeated in English.

Robin grinned and placed the fruit into the basket that hung from Starfire's elbow. "Heh…maybe a little." He frowned as he realized what she was doing. "You're not squeezing these too hard again, are you?" He started to inspect her discarded kiwis. He still blushed when he thought about one of the first shopping trips they'd taken her on where they'd had to buy an entire crate of limes because Starfire had squeezed them all beyond use.

"No," she replied. "I have learned how to be gentle and firm at the same time." She dropped her eyelids flirtatiously and switched over to Cantonese, _"I have had a good teacher."_

Robin smirked knowingly at her, and, satisfied that she had left the kiwis unmolested, turned to gather a few more tangerines.

They shopped in companionable silence for a few minutes and Robin was examining the bananas when he heard Starfire exclaim: "Oh, what beautiful flowers!"

He turned to see what she was looking at, and was rather surprised at what he found. "Those are lilies, Star," he said, coming to her side. "You don't usually see them in a grocery store like this; they're pretty fragile."

"Will you purchase some for me?" she asked, her eyes shining.

Robin's face fell. _"I can't,_" he murmured to her in Mandarin. _"They're traditional romantic gifts."_ Despite the fact that they'd been together for the better part of a year and that he was becoming more and more willing to show his affection for her around the other Titans, he was still adamant that no one outside the Tower know about their relationship.

Starfire frowned and responded in the same language he'd used, _"I thought roses were traditional romantic floral gifts."_

_"They are. But most flowers have become so as well."_

"Oh…" Starfire lowered her head and took a step back.

_"It's alright,"_ he told her, still in Mandarin. He slipped a pinky around hers, giving it a squeeze and shaking her hand a bit before withdrawing. It was the only sign of affection he allowed himself in public. _"I'll make it up to you."_

She lifted her head. Her eyes still held some disappointment, but her frown did turn back into a smile. Satisfied that she was okay, he switched back over to English. "I'm going to go see what they've got at the meat counter. I'll catch up with you later."

He turned to go and glanced back over his shoulder to see that Starfire's smile had turned into a mischievous little grin. _"Get that smirk off your face,"_ he told her teasingly in Russian as he walked away.

_"You are the one that placed it there, Lover,"_ she replied in Tameranian.

It was the meaning of the phrase that Robin caught before he realized it wasn't in English, and for a split second, he panicked. She couldn't be calling him "Lover" in public! It was too dangerous! If the wrong person found out…

But the second passed as Robin remembered that the only other person on the face of the planet that _might_ have understood her was on the other side of the store picking out toilet paper. Robin allowed his own lips to quirk up as he walked away.

TtTtTtT

Starfire dropped Robin on the bed and fell next to him a second later, making the mattress bounce. "Holy…wow…" he panted. "I think…I'm gonna be sore…tomorrow."

Alarmed, Starfire rolled up onto her side to look at him. "Did I harm you, _**Revoleth**_ Robin?"

Robin swallowed and pulled a deep breath. "No…no. I just didn't think I could bend like that…at least not for that length of time, anyway."

Starfire frowned. "Did you not enjoy it?"

Robin's eyes crossed briefly. "Enjoy it?!" he squeaked. "Star, that was…amazing! Just…don't expect me to do that every time." He gave her a pained look.

Starfire giggled, and slid her chest up over his, nestling her head in the crook of his neck. "Thank you for trying that with me. You would be willing to attempt other techniques with me, yes?"

"Sure. Just not tonight. Or this week." He rubbed her back fondly as she giggled in his ear again. "Did you like it?"

"Mmmmm…very much. It was most….invigorating." She dragged her lips up his neck and over his chin before kissing him soundly, swinging her leg over his hips as she did so. As she settled against him into the kiss, she felt a wave of love, affection, and desire surge through her. Their _**dpi'syr**_ gems had touched.

When they had decided to become a couple, Robin had agreed to follow the Tameranian mating traditions. In doing so, they discovered not only did they share a great love for each other, but were, in fact, soulmates. They knew this because a magical creature from Tameran, one that Starfire had thought only existed in folktales, had watched their relationship, and, on the evening after they'd first made love, had revealed itself and transformed into a stone which held the small, round gems. The gems were worn in the _**dpi'syrad's**_ navels, not only to signify their bond, but to magnify their feelings for each other by holding each other close and allowing the gems to touch.

"This never stops being incredible," Robin breathed as their lips parted but the gems did not.

Starfire gazed into her _**dpi'syra's**_ eyes, resting her forehead against his. "We are truly blessed," she agreed.

They lapsed into silence for several minutes, floating in the surf of their emotions, trying to express them to each other through their eyes and their touch. "Does this make it up to you?" Robin finally asked, running his fingers through her hair.

Her brow wrinkled. "Make what up?"

"This morning. The flowers?"

"Oh! Yes…yes…" She stretched like a cat against him, nuzzling her nose against his ear as her movements caused their gems to disconnect. Starfire's emotions muted a bit, but, lying there in Robin's arms, skin to skin, she could never be anything less than content.

Robin rolled them over onto their sides, pushing her away just enough to kiss her again before letting her go. He took his own chance to stretch along with disposing their used prophylactic and readjusting the bedding a bit. "I am exhausted," he murmured to her as he finally gathered her into his embrace again. He kissed the tip of her nose. _"Good night, Beloved,"_ he whispered in Tameranian.

**_"__Nirmpd mpyjrd, Aiyknrwa,"_** she repeated.

TtTtTtT

Robin started from his sleep, suddenly wide-awake. But oddly, he wasn't afraid, like he'd had a nightmare, or cautious, like he'd heard something suspicious. No, what he felt was…love. For Starfire.

More precisely, what he felt was the rush of emotions that came over him whenever their **_dpi'syr_** gems touched. He always had trouble thinking clearly whenever that happened, but, luckily, he generally didn't have to and was able to simply enjoy what was happening. Before he had the chance to figure out what was going on right now, however, Starfire's voice broke the silence. "Robin?"

"Starfire?"

She pulled away from him slightly, and Robin's head began to clear. "I believe our **_dpi'syr_** gems came in contact," she said.

"Yeah…" Robin replied absently, his brain switching over into detective mode. "I wonder why they woke us up. Do you know how they work?"

"No. I did not even believe they existed until I saw ours."

"Hmmm. They must set off some neurotransmitters, and that's what makes us feel what we do, and that's probably what woke us up."

"That sounds like a reasonable theory," Starfire murmured softly, snuggling in closer and reactivating the gems. "But does it really matter?"

Robin let the rush of emotions flow through him again, enhanced by the feel of Starfire's warm, soft skin. "Not really," he brushed his lips against hers. "But…I'm always curious…" He ran his fingers up her back and felt her shiver against him.

"So you seem to be," she breathed against his mouth before taking his bottom lip between her own. "But I am curious as well…" She nibbled his chin.

"Oh?" he asked before letting out a shaky sigh as she nipped his earlobe. "About what?"

"I am curious as to how much more sleep we will be getting this night."

Robin felt the smirk crawl over his features. "Really? Me too." He tilted her chin to kiss her again…

* * *

So, after a sidetrack to re-write parts of chapter one, here's chapter two! This is really where the story starts; pay attention! There's gonna be a quiz! Okay, not really, but the stuff in this chapter is gonna come up again.

Just to clarify about the languages: the stuff in English is just in standard script. The stuff that's **_bold and italicized _**are the actual foreign words. The stuff that's just in _italics_ is being spoken in something other than English, but we need to know what it means, so I'm writing the translation. I hope that makes sense. (I know, that's not the way I did it in _Falling_, where all the Tameranian was just italicized. My original intention was to put the translated stuff inside of brackets, but the Fanfiction . net interface doesn't like brackets; it deletes them and won't let me put them back. So, I hope plan B works out okay.)

Stuff is going really fast right now, but that could end at any moment. Make with the love! The muse and I get along better when we know you like what we're doing!


	3. The Call

_Teen Titans _belong to DC Comics. I'm not them.

_Chapter 3: The Call_

Robin sat at the terminal in front of the wall-sized monitor in Ops. The rest of the team had gone off to see a movie, and, despite begging from both Starfire and Beast Boy to join them, he had decided to stay home and get some work done. He was working on the Titans' quarterly report to the city: what villains they'd fought, what the outcomes had been, how much collateral damage had been done. He was currently working on the part he hated the most: the Titans' finances. He'd already come to the conclusion that they had to be more careful with the T-Car; the thing was constantly down for repairs and they were spending a fortune on it.

But what was really worrying Robin was the Titans' personal expenses. Try as he might, he could not break Beast Boy of his new-video-game-a-week habit. Cyborg's stuff was all high-tech and thus expensive. Raven was pretty frugal, but some of the books she bought didn't exactly come out of the bargain bin. And while Starfire could go weeks without spending more than a few dollars for some extra mustard, every so often she'd take a trip to the mall and spend several hundred without blinking an eye. Robin had to remind himself that she _was_ a princess, after all.

Even his own personal spending had crept up in the past months. He knew exactly why, too: Starfire. He had this awful habit of buying little things for her. And by little he meant little: a few pieces of candy here, a magazine there. But no matter how small, she was always overwhelmingly grateful, and there was nothing better than seeing her eyes light up as she thanked him profusely. She was getting better at not hugging him so tightly he couldn't breathe, too. But lots of little things added up.

And then there were the things he'd started getting for himself since they'd been together: the aftershave, the nice pajamas, the condoms. Ugh, the condoms. After several trips into town in street clothes with a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes, he'd started buying them over the internet from several national drugstore chains. The money for them, and for anything else the Titans didn't want traced back to them (which was more than one might think) got filtered through several offshore accounts before paying for credit cards that were taken out in phony names and cancelled often. The innocent-looking packages were delivered to a private PO box that was usually emptied by Raven in the middle of the night.

Robin frowned as the numbers added up. He wondered if Starfire would notice if he stopped getting little things for her. He was not about to stop getting condoms…even if he wanted to stop sleeping with her – and he didn't – he doubted very much Starfire would go along with the idea. An image of Starfire tackling him in the hallway and having her way with him flashed through his head and he couldn't help but smile. Not that he'd let her do that, especially after being discovered by Cyborg the other day – he'd drag her into a bathroom at least – but it was a fun image. And sex without contraception just was not an option. They'd talked about other forms, but they had always decided that condoms were their best choice.

Thankfully, he was able to just add a lot of those kinds of things up and put the total on a line called "Personal Items." The first time they had submitted a report like this, they got summoned to the City Accountant's office and had been told that they had to be more specific about where exactly the money was going. He and Cyborg had spent nearly an hour trying to explain to him that there were certain things that it was just better were not traceable to them, or to the city, for that matter. The bureaucrat finally acquiesced on the weapons and vehicle tech, but still wanted receipts for personal items. Frustrated, Cyborg had slammed a mighty fist on the man's desk and growled at him, "Do you really want to know how many tampons Raven uses?" Apparently the idea of knowing about the dark witch's menstrual cycle was just too much for the balding man, and, as long as they kept it "to a reasonable amount," there was no reason to submit receipts.

Unlike the other Titans, Robin had some of his own money. Despite their acrimonious parting, Bruce Wayne – Batman - had given him access to an account that he had set up for the young Dick Grayson shortly after he'd become Wayne's ward. It wasn't a lot "by Bruce Wayne standards," as Alfred had put it, but it was enough to keep a roof over his head and food in his stomach those first few months before Jump City had adopted the Titans. There was quite a lot of it left, and Robin occasionally dipped into it to help cover a large Titan expense or some personal things he didn't want linked to the Titans – like that sexy lingerie he'd ordered for Starfire.

But having had it happen twice to him now in his young life, Robin was very aware that his whole world could be turned upside-down in the matter of a few moments, so he was careful with the funds and, with a little long-distance help from Alfred, had invested as much of it as he could into some high-interest accounts. It mattered more than ever now, because he realized there might come a day when he may need to take care of his teammates as well as himself. He knew that being underwritten by a city like this was the exception: most "superheroes" were either independently wealthy, like Batman and Green Arrow, or actually had day jobs, like Superman and Flash. The privilege of being a superhero 24-7 was not something Robin took lightly.

As Robin attempted to read the total on a crumpled and smudged receipt that had obviously come out of Beast Boy's pocket, an alert sounded on the computer. He glanced up to find an incoming communiqué. He slapped the "connect" button, expecting one of the other Titans – either from his own team or from elsewhere – to come up. Instead, the sender demanded a passcode.

Robin frowned and typed in the general Titans' password. Denied. He tried his own personal password. Also denied.

Robin furrowed his brow and stroked his chin, studying the login screen. It seemed generic enough. But then he noticed the beeping that accompanied the blinking of the curser. It wasn't steady. Instead, it had a rhythm. Short, long, short, short, long, short, long, long…

He made a face. It couldn't be. Could it? He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to remember. Finally, he typed in the old code…and the face of Batman appeared on the screen.

"There you are, " the Dark Knight greeted him. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten our cipher."

Robin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Bruce."

What looked to Robin like a forced smile quirked at the older man's lips. "How have you been, Dick?"

"You don't know?" Robin shot back.

"I have kept tabs on you and your friends, but news reports don't tell me how you _are_."

Robin snorted. "You mean to tell me you haven't tapped into the Tower's security system?"

The false smile turned into a knowing smirk. "I've been tempted to, but I didn't want to be saddled with knowledge of something I wasn't supposed to know."

Robin scowled.

Batman's smirk faded. "So, how are you?"

"Peachy," Robin did his best Raven imitation.

The pair stared each other down for several moments, neither of them willing to break their own stoic exteriors.

"Happy Birthday, by the way," Batman finally conceded.

"That was over a month ago," Robin pointed out.

Batman didn't respond, but Robin was pretty sure he saw his former mentor's jaw set.

"Look, Bruce, we both know this isn't a social call," Robin said, attempting to move things forward. "What do you want?"

"I need you to come back to Gotham," Bruce replied shortly.

"What? No!"

"Just…" he held up a black-gloved hand, "…for a couple of days. There's some business we need to take care of."

"I thought Batman didn't need a partner," Robin threw an old argument's words back at the bat.

Bruce let the comment go. "This is Dick Grayson business."

Robin stilled for a moment, unsure of what to make of that statement. He looked away, deciding to go the flippant route. "I forget to pay some parking tickets?"

"Yes, actually, but I took care of those. No, this is more…personal."

Robin snapped his head back. "Personal? Is Alfred okay?"

Batman again held up a hand. "Yes, Alfred's fine, everyone's fine. It's not bad. It's just something you need to come and deal with."

"But you're not going to tell me what it is." Robin's eyes narrowed.

A beat. "It has to do with your inheritance."

"You writing me out of the will?" Robin grunted.

"Not from me. From your parents."

Robin stuttered. His parents had been dead for ten years. They'd been poor circus performers. It was true Robin – Dick – had never wanted for anything while he was with them, but he'd never known any reason to need anything beyond what he had: loving parents, the extended family of the circus and the thrill of performing. It was only in retrospect after years of living with billionaire Bruce Wayne did he realize that they had lived a very simple life indeed. "But…they…how…?"

"I'll answer everything once you get here," Bruce broke into his fractured thoughts.

Robin heaved out a sigh and dropped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "How long would I need to stay?"

"Just a couple of days. You could come Sunday night, we could take care of things Monday, and you could leave Tuesday morning."

Today was Friday. Robin frowned. It was really only one day, and if this had something to do with his parents... "Alright."

"And um…" Batman cleared his throat. "Alfred would like it if you stayed at the Manor this time, instead of the corporate apartment."

Robin flicked his eyes back up but grit his teeth at the same time. There was a reason he stayed at the WayneCorp apartment when he popped into Gotham. But Wayne Manor was a huge place, so…"Alright. For Alfred."

Batman nodded. "Good. I'll see you Sunday, then." The image winked out.

"Yeah," Robin replied to the blank screen. "See you Sunday."

TtTtTtT

The sun was setting. Robin sat on the edge of the roof of the Tower, watching it as it slipped beneath the waves. He was hoping the almost-nightly ritual would relax him. It wasn't succeeding very well.

Out of nowhere, Starfire's mane of fiery hair followed by her upside-down smiling face appeared in front of him. Despite his grouchy mood, he couldn't suppress a startled laugh. "Starfire! Where did you come from?" He glanced up to see her hanging headfirst above him, her legs folded as if she were sitting.

"Below. I merely flew up over the roof instead of going through the stairwells of the Tower."

"That's why I didn't hear the door. How was the movie?" he asked as Starfire twisted herself around to hover right-side-up in front of him, looking nothing so much like an Olympic diver as she did so. He couldn't help but marvel again at how graceful she was when she flew.

Starfire's smile dimmed a bit. "It was another silly battle movie that Beast Boy and Cyborg seem to enjoy so much. I found it rather tedious."

"I'm sorry you didn't like it," he said, trailing his fingers down her arm in search of her hand. "I'll take you to see the new Pixar movie next week."

Starfire squealed, squeezing his hand and reaching in for a joyful kiss. "Thank you! That will be most delightful!" She twisted around again to sit next to him. "And how was your afternoon? Were you able to finish the reporting?"

"Most of it," he answered, gazing out over the bay. "There's one section I have to finish yet."

"I am certain you will have no troubles with it," Starfire encouraged.

"Yeah…" he replied absently. The ache in his chest that had been there since Bruce had called twisted, and, knowing that a hug from his _**dpi'syr**_ would help him feel better, as it always did, he dropped Starfire's hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

The tension did seem to ease a bit as her arms encircled his waist and her head snuggled against his shoulder. He felt her tilt her face up to look at him. "Is something wrong, Robin?"

He heaved a mighty sigh. "I have to go away for a couple of days. I'm leaving Sunday. I should be home on Tuesday."

"That is not so very long, although I shall still miss you terribly. What is the purpose of your trip?"

Robin tightened his arm around her. "I have to go back to Gotham City. Something to do with my parents' estate."

He felt her frown against his shoulder. "Are not your parents deceased?"

"Yeah," Robin croaked, his throat constricting around the emotion that still carried with it. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that I'm eighteen now, although Bruce wouldn't tell me what."

"Eighteen is an important age?"

"It's the age you're legally an adult." He glanced down into her eyes. She had such a look of concern and open love on her face…despite the fact that he knew she wasn't, she still seemed so innocent at times. Robin had to remind himself that she was, in fact, several months older than he was, at last by Earth's calendar.

"You do not wish to carry out this task?" she asked as he brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear. When his only reply was to rest his forehead against hers, she questioned further: "You loved your parents, did you not?"

"I still love them," he murmured. "That's not the point."

"Then…you are bothered by the fact that this errand will remind you that they are deceased?" She peered into his mask, obviously knowing exactly where his eyes were.

He picked his head up and turned back to look over the bay. "I hadn't even thought of that," he whispered. He hugged her more tightly. "No…it's that I have to see Bruce."

"Bruce Wayne? Your _**k'norfka**_?"

Robin glanced back at her, his mask arching. "Doesn't that mean 'nanny?'" A smirk pulled at his lips. "I'll have to tell him you called him that."

Starfire frowned. "'Nanny' is a very loose translation. 'Governess' would probably be closer."

Robin couldn't help but chuckle. "'Governess' is a female term, Star, although I've never heard of a 'Governor,' at least not in that context." He rubbed her back absently. "But yeah…that's what he was."

"Your parting was not under good circumstances." It wasn't a question; Robin had told her bits of this and it was obvious he did not have the warmest thoughts about his former guardian.

Robin shook his head and turned back to face her, peeling his mask off. "I realize this isn't the biggest leap of logic since you already know my name, but I'm going to tell you something you can't repeat to anybody."

"You know I am trustworthy, Robin."

Robin pulled in a deep breath. "Bruce Wayne is Batman."

Starfire smiled and blinked several times at him. "I had surmised as much."

Robin favored her with a smile that didn't reach all the way to his eyes, and then turned back out to the nearly-set sun and started to idly play with the ends of her hair. "I left because I disagreed with the way Batman does what he does…what we do. He has this 'by any means necessary' attitude about fighting crime. There are a few things he won't do – he won't kill somebody – but beyond that…" He shook his head. "There were lots of little things that were bugging me, and we were starting to get into more and more arguments about it. And then…" He fisted his hand in Starfire's hair, quickly letting go before he pulled it.

"Robin, you do not have to tell me this if you do not wish to." Starfire's lilting voice seemed to break Robin's tension up a bit.

He looked back at her. Her face was still so open. _This_ is why he loved her. She never judged him; she'd just let him be him. "No…I want to. It'll be nice to say it out loud for once."

She smiled, and Robin's heart began to lift a bit.

He began his story, looking back out over the now mostly-darkened bay. "There was this crime boss in Gotham named Alfredo Hemiola. One of the few times I actually got Bruce to laugh was when I said that his name sounded like a blood disease." Robin smirked at the memory. "Anyway, it was no secret Fredo wanted control of all of Gotham, and we foiled his plots more than once. The last mission that Batman and I went on before I left involved Fredo. He had his minions steal this Miagani Indian totem from City Hall. I'm sure the thing has some kind of archeological value and on the black market it probably would have brought a hefty price. But Fredo wanted it because it was supposed to have some kind of magical power that granted whoever has it the authority to rule over whoever happened to come onto Gotham Island. Ironically, it has a bat on it." Robin snorted.

"So we rushed out to see what was happening as soon as the Bat Signal went up…and got to City Hall too late; they were already gone," Robin continued. "Batman sent me off after the guys with the totem while he went after Fredo. I followed them into the warehouse district and managed to corner them in a lumber mill. But it turned out to be a trick. I got in there and there were three of Fredo's henchmen, holding the totem…and some pretty big guns. One of them said, 'Back off or the girl gets it.'" Robin paused, shuddering. "I was like…what girl? And I turn around and on top of this pile of lumber, tied to a ceiling joist is this _little_ girl…like five or six years old."

"How awful!" Starfire gasped.

"Yeah," Robin swallowed the bitter taste that had started to form on his tongue. "And the look on her face…she was _so_ scared, eyes bugged out, tears running down her cheeks…" He pulled Starfire closer, wrapping his other arm around her, almost cradling her. "I didn't even think," he told the top of her head. "I just climbed up that pile of lumber and cut her down. Of course when I turned around Fredo's henchmen were gone, the totem with them. By the time I'd taken the girl to the hospital the trail had gone cold. We never did find them, and Batman got his butt kicked by Fredo's men too, so the night was pretty much a total loss."

"But you saved the child," Starfire pointed out. "I should think that was of the most importance. Was she damaged?"

"No, not really. A few cuts and bruises, but mostly just scared. Turns out she was the daughter of one of the Mayor's aides. Fredo had her kidnapped as insurance that they'd get away with the totem. But Batman wasn't happy. You know what he told me when I told him what happened? He said she would have been alright for the few extra minutes it would have taken me to recover the totem."

He felt Starfire stiffen in his arms. "He did not!" she exclaimed.

He rest his cheek on the top of her head and tightened his grip again. "He did. And I suppose technically he was right but…" Robin lowered his voice to a strained whisper. "…he didn't see her face."

"You did the right thing, Robin," Starfire soothed, rubbing his back. "I would have done the same."

"Yeah," Robin acknowledged absently. "And after that…I quit. We had a big blowout and I told him that I wouldn't put up with him bending his own moral code. I couldn't live like that. It was bad enough that I had to keep this big secret about our identities, but to cause people pain under that guise…no. And I couldn't stay there knowing what I knew, so…I left. I packed all of my Robin stuff and a few street clothes and came here. This afternoon when he called is the first time I've spoken to him since."

"That is sad," Starfire remarked after Robin had been silent a few moments. "But, I think, good."

He shifted and looked down at her. "Oh?"

She met his gaze. "Yes. You should not be forced to do things you believe are wrong. And besides," her lips quirked up, "if you had not come here, I would not have met you."

Robin felt a warm relief spread through him as he smiled at her. "Now that would have been wrong."

She favored him with one of her incandescent smiles.

"Still…" he slipped away from her, slumping over, his elbows resting on his knees. "I don't want to see him. I don't want to talk to him."

Starfire's hand slipped across his back to rest on his shoulder. "Why ever not? You have nothing to be ashamed of; the Titans have done good work both here in Jump City and elsewhere as well. You have 'made good,' is that the phrase?"

"Maybe. But that's not it. I just don't want to argue with him. I still argue with him in my head half the time."

"That is pointless, as Raven would say."

"Sometimes it probably is. There are times it helps me work stuff out."

"Do you wish for me to accompany you?"

Robin looked back up at her, his heart swelling for a moment. "God, yes. But, you can't. You'd be recognized. And I have to do this as Dick Grayson."

"I could alter my appearance," Starfire suggested. "Change the length and color of my hair?"

"Don't you dare!" he commanded her, taking the ends of a few of her locks between his fingers again. "I love your hair. And besides, it wouldn't be enough. Your skin is an odd color," he traced his fingertips over her cheek. "And you have these funny little eyebrows," he smoothed his thumb and forefinger over them. "All of which I love," he added when he saw her eyes start to turn a bit sad. "No," he sighed. "This is something I'm going to have to do by myself."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as the last of the light slipped away. "Well," Starfire finally said. "You are not alone now. And worrying about what will happen when you arrive will only serve to make you grouchy. Come," she pulled on his arm as she rose up. "Let us lay upon the roof and gaze at the stars so that you may tell me the stories of the constellations."

Robin looked up at her as she hovered over him, her eyes full of love and a small smile on her lips. She was right; leaving Batman and coming here had been a good thing. Now if he could just deal with going back…

* * *

Whew Marathon writing session today…wrote most of this in one sitting.

I don't know if all of that stuff I wrote about the Titans finances is important or not…I know some of it will come back, but not necessarily all of it. I'm just one of those geeks that sits around wondering, "How the heck do they pay for all of that stuff??" So, I figured it out.

And yes, all you hardcore Batman and Titans geeks, I know that's not what happened to make Robin leave Batman. There are a couple of different versions of that story, and this is sort of similar to one of them, but I know I'm writing revisionist history here. This is fanfiction; I get to do that. ;o) So, please don't tell me that's not how it happened; I know it's not.

I'll do my best to keep the pace up, but the muse works harder when she knows she's loved, so…you know what to do!


	4. Leaving Home

_Teen Titans_ belong to DC Comics. I'm not them and have no money, so please don't sue.

_Chapter 4: Leaving Home_

Starfire sat in the window seat of the Tower's Observatory, petting and playing with Silkie, her mutant pet caterpillar. He hopped off of her lap and started to squirm across the floor. Starfire laughed and floated after the worm, only to catch a figure in the doorway out of the corner of her eye. As it was mostly in shadow, she couldn't tell who – or what - it was. She put her feet on the floor and peered at it. Before she could question it, Robin's voice asked: "You want to see me off, Star?"

"Yes, of course," she answered as she walked to his side, relieved that it was him.

No wonder she hadn't recognized him. Instead of his normal uniform he wore hiking boots, faded jeans, a red hoodie with the hood pulled up and sunglasses instead of his mask. With his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatshirt and his shoulders slightly rounded, he cut a very different figure than his normally confident, defiant stance.

"You have said good-bye to our friends?" she asked as they began to descend the stairs.

"Yeah. They know I'm going to Gotham but they don't know why."

"Because they are not aware of your true identity?"

Robin stopped on a landing. "Robin is my true identity. But no, I haven't told them I'm Dick Grayson. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Raven knew." He continued down the stairs.

Starfire didn't question his decision. They all had some secrets that they kept from the Team. Including her.

They arrived in the Tower's garage, and Robin pulled his hood down and stuck his sunglasses through his collar as the door shut behind them.

Starfire stopped short. This could not be _her_ Robin.

"What?" he asked after seeing the odd look in her eyes.

Starfire rose off the ground and began floating around Robin, examining the top of his head. "What has happened to your hair?"

Robin's normally spiky ebony locks had been shot through with blond highlights and slicked back flat against his head. "Temporary dye, to throw people off the trail. It'll wash out," he assured her as she hovered over him.

"I do not believe I find this aesthetically pleasing," she finally said, still examining him from above.

"It's not about being aesthetically pleasing," he declared, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down to her feet. "It's about not looking like Robin or Dick Grayson."

"Is that why you have not done the shaving for the past few days?"

"Uh-huh." He absently rubbed his hand against the sparse whiskers covering his chin.

Being the nice person she was, Starfire attempted to compliment him after rejecting his hair. "Your beard is beginning to come in nicely."

"You think so? You want me to keep it?"

Starfire didn't have to think about it. "No."

He made a face at her but squeezed her hand before going off to rummage through Cyborg's rather large tool drawers. He quickly found a couple of generic lightening-bolt-shaped decal magnets and slapped them over the "T" symbols that adorned Beast Boy's moped.

"May I ask what you are doing?" Starfire queried.

"The R-Cycle has too unique a profile. Even if I did disguise the R's on it, it would probably still be recognized," Robin explained. "Beast Boy's moped, on the other hand, is pretty much stock. So, I'm taking that to the airport."

"I see. He has given you permission to borrow his vehicle?"

Robin grimaced. "I told him that he could use the R-Cycle if there were any missions while I was gone."

Starfire furrowed her brow. "Do you think that is wise?"

Robin snorted. "No. But since I couldn't really tell him _why_ I needed to borrow it, I needed to give him some incentive. But I'm not too worried. It's usually pretty quiet on Sundays and Mondays." He stuffed his duffel into the small carry basket on the back of the cycle, and turned to face her. "Well, um…"

Starfire literally flew into his embrace, kissing him fiercely. Robin cinched his arms around her, returning the affection with equal fervor. "I shall miss you," she whispered as they parted.

"I'm gonna miss you too," he murmured back, raising his hands to the back of her head and pressing his forehead to hers. He trailed his fingers down her arms and took her right hand, placing something into it. "Here, I want you to keep this while I'm gone."

Starfire felt fear course through her as she looked down at the object. It was Robin's _**dpi'syr **_gem. "You are…rejecting me?" she managed, feeling herself beginning to tremble.

"No! No…" He closed her fingers around the gem, holding her hand between both of his. "I just want you to keep it safe while I'm gone. I promise: the first thing I'm going to do once I get back is kiss you, and then I'm going to put this back in."

"But…" Starfire swallowed the lump in her throat. "We have done everything while wearing the gems. We have never seemed to be in any danger of losing them."

"I'm not worried about losing it. I just…" he sighed. "I don't want Bruce to see it."

"But he is your _**k'norfka**_," Starfire protested. "On Tameran…"

"I know…on Tameran you share your happiness with everyone." Robin's voice held an irritated edge to it. He took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself. "But this isn't Tameran. He wouldn't understand."

Starfire shook her head. She still couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But it will be beneath your clothing…"

"I know…" he repeated, squeezing his eyes shut in an effort to stay patient with her. "But Bruce has a way of finding things out. Please…just trust me on this."

Starfire stared in to Robin's blue eyes. He had never lied to her, had never tried to trick her. Certainly after everything they'd been through, with the bond they shared, she could trust him in this matter. Couldn't she? "I…"

"It's just for a couple days. I promise." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

Starfire exhaled the breath she was holding. "Very well."

He smiled at her and kissed her again, firmly but without demand. _"__**Yr sefte, Dpi'syr **_Starfire," he whispered as they parted.

"I love you as well, Soulmate Robin," she answered. "Travel safely. Be well."

He smiled again. "Thanks." He stepped away from her and mounted the moped, replacing his sunglasses and pulling on a helmet. "I'll be back before you know it!" he told her over the putt-putt of the engine. And then he drove away.

Starfire watched until the garage door shut behind him. She sighed and looked down at the gem in her hand. It seemed to have lost some of its luster. Squeezing it against her palm, she turned and trudged back up the stairs to the main part of the Tower.

She arrived in Ops to find Beast Boy and Cyborg throwing insults at each other as they played a video game. Raven floated by, a book in her hand. "Robin on his way?" she asked as she passed.

"Yes, he has departed," Starfire replied, the sadness apparent in her voice.

"It's only till Tuesday," Raven repeated the words Robin had said several times since Friday evening. "Why don't you play with Beast Boy and Cyborg? I know for a fact that game can take up to four players. _Right guys_?" Her last words went up in volume and held a bit of threat behind them.

"Huh?" Beast Boy grunted.

"What?" Cyborg asked without turning around.

Raven rolled her eyes and used her powers to pause the game. "I _said_, why don't you guys let Starfire play?"

The two male Titans looked at each other and then back over their shoulders to see Starfire's drawn face. "Sure," Cyborg answered after a moment. "That'd be great!"

"Hey! That means Robin's gone!" Beast Boy enthused, bouncing on the sofa cushions a bit. "Bring it on, bad guys! Beast Boy and the B-Cycle are gonna take you down!"

Cyborg eyed his green friend. "You do realize that if you wreck that thing, I'm the one that's gonna have to fix it."

"Who says I'm gonna wreck it?" Beast Boy demanded.

"Well, you're you," Cyborg answered.

"Hey!"

"AHEM!" Raven broke in. The pair's eyes swiveled back to her. "The game? Starfire?"

"Right," Beast Boy laughed sheepishly. "C'mon, Star. It'll be fun."

Starfire squeezed the gem again. "I thank you, Friends. However, there is something I must attend to. I shall join you shortly." She turned and began walking toward her room.

"Aw man!" Starfire heard Cyborg grumble. "She's gonna sulk the entire time he's gone."

"Shhh!" Raven hissed.

The sound of the video game started up again. "Dude, was that the alarm?" Beast Boy asked after a moment.

"No, it was just the game!" Cyborg told him. "I swear, if the alarm does go off before Robin gets back, I'm gonna tie you to the top of the T-Car!"

The sound of her friends' voices faded as Starfire approached her room. She entered and let out a mighty sigh as the door cycled closed behind her. She believed Robin when he said that the only reason he removed his gem was because he did not want his _**k'norfka**_ to see it, but still…it was a powerful symbol. She fell onto her bed, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears that were threatening to form. She rolled the gem around in her fingers. It was almost a perfect sphere, with a milky sheen and an opalescent swirl of colors. Still, it felt cold in her hand. Taking a few deep breaths, she pulled the front of her skirt down and touched Robin's gem to her own.

Nothing. Not even a hint of the rush of emotion that she normally felt. If anything, she felt more empty. She clutched Robin's gem to her chest and began to cry.

TtTtTtT

Robin knew it was risky to take a commercial flight, especially with the security increases of late. He could have asked Bruce to charter him a plane, but felt that would have been too conspicuous. He stowed his sunglasses in his bag, knowing that wearing them in the airport and on the dimly lit plane would have raised a red flag. He replaced them with a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. If he were asked to remove his cap, his hair should throw people off-track.

He took a small tourist airline to New York; Gotham City was less than a two-hour drive from there, traffic permitting. A fake ID and a hundred-dollar bill slipped to the desk clerk who questioned his age (most companies require drivers to be 25) allowed him to rent a car and drive to Wayne Manor.

It was well after dark when he pulled up to the gate. Rolling down the window, he pressed the button on the intercom situated on an outside column. A few moments later a cultured English voice asked: "Yes, who is it?"

"Alfred, it's me, Ro- Dick. Open the gate!"

"Master Dick! I was beginning to worry about you." The gate began to creak open. "You may park in the main garage. I'll meet you in the breezeway."

Dick parked his modest sedan next to what looked to him like a new Lamborghini. Pulling his duffel from the trunk, he headed up the stairs into the main part of the house. He emerged into a sparsely furnished hallway that acted as a buffer between the garage and the house proper. Standing in the middle of it was a balding older man dressed in the sharp gray suit of a butler.

"Alfred!" Dick dropped his bag and strode quickly in to hug the servant/caretaker/friend. The butler returned the embrace politely, but not without affection.

"Master Dick! It is good to see you again!" Alfred stepped back, holding the youth at arm's length. "Let me have a look at you…you must have grown six inches since I've seen you last!"

"Four," Dick countered, pulling off his hat and running his fingers through his hair. "But who's counting?"

"My word, what have you done to your hair?" Alfred sounded shocked. "Please tell me this is not a new part of 'the look.'"

"Disguise," Dick smiled sheepishly. "It'll wash out in the shower."

"I take it the whiskers are also a part of the disguise?" Dick nodded. "Then do be sure to shave when you shower." Alfred shook his head. "I cannot believe I'm telling you to shave. You were barely beginning to do that when you left!"

"What's wrong with my beard?" Dick protested. "You have facial hair," he indicated the older man's neatly trimmed mustache.

"Yes, but I can grow mine in properly." Alfred's face remained stoic.

"Ouch!" Dick smirked.

Alfred conceded a small smile, but his face quickly sobered again. "And to be quite frank, Master Dick, it really does not become you."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Well, that makes it unanimous." That wasn't entirely true; Beast Boy had declared his whiskers "Cool."

"Unanimous?"

"St- The girls didn't like it either."

"Ah yes, your friends," Alfred clasped his hands behind his back. "They certainly are an eclectic bunch."

"They're a good team," Dick said. "And good friends."

Alfred did smile this time. "I'd like very much to meet them someday."

Dick returned the gesture. "I'd like that too."

"Will you look at us, standing around in the hallway? Come inside. Have you eaten? You are so thin! Are you eating at all?" Alfred did his best mother bird impression.

Dick ducked his head sheepishly. "Probably not enough."

"Come along, then. I'll make you some oatmeal."

Dick glanced at his watch. "Oatmeal? It's 10:30!"

"Yes!" Alfred took a few steps and picked up Dick's bag, which Dick promptly wrenched out of his hand and threw over his own shoulder. "Don't you remember?" Alfred continued, looking a bit put off by having his duty taken from him. "I used to have oatmeal ready for you when you returned from your late night patrols. It would warm you up, stick to your ribs, and allow you to sleep. The perfect late-night meal."

Dick shook his head, smiling, "Alfred…"

Alfred opened the door to the main house, ushering Dick inside. "I believe I have some fresh apples to add to it, as well."

"I'm not twelve anymore, Alfred."

Alfred paused inside the door, looking Dick over again. "No. You certainly are not. But I will wager that you still like apples and cinnamon in your oatmeal."

A smile crept over Dick's face again. "Yeah. I guess I do."

"Well then, let's see about that!" Alfred clapped the young man on the shoulder and headed off towards the kitchen.

Dick looked around as he followed Alfred. Nothing seemed to have really changed. "Where's Bruce?" he asked after a few moments.

"Out patrolling, I believe. I doubt very much you'll see him tonight unless he manages to injure himself in the next hour or so." Alfred paused. "Although, I wouldn't count that out."

"Oh?" Dick asked as he pushed the kitchen door open with his hip.

"Yes, well, he's had something of a bad streak here lately," Alfred told him as he bustled into the kitchen. Lifting a pot from where it hung over the island, he began to fill it with water has he continued. "About six weeks ago he had one of his shoulder blades broken by Ragdoll, of all people."

"Ragdoll?" Dick asked with disbelief. "How'd that idiot get out of Arkham?"

"How do any of them get out?" Alfred asked wearily, putting the pot on the stove. "I swear Joker has a key to the place."

Dick chuckled.

"In any case, the doctor insisted that he keep his shoulder immobile for six weeks…"

"Wait," Dick cut Alfred off. "You actually got him to go to the doctor?"

"Yes. I couldn't ascertain exactly what the injury was…at first we both thought it was merely a hemotoma or a muscle strain as there wasn't much pain when he didn't move, but normal measures for those things weren't working, so I finally insisted. He told the doctor something about a rock climbing accident." Alfred measured out a cup of oatmeal.

"But, you know Master Bruce," Alfred continued as he stirred the cereal into the water. "He only rested for three weeks. And then, he got into a tussle with some of Joker's flunkies, and in the process of trying to favor his shoulder, managed to pull his groin."

Dick laughed out loud. "That's one thing I've never hurt."

Alfred stirred the oatmeal. "I hope you never do." He paused, frowning at the pot. "Oh dear. In all of the excitement of your return, I'd forgotten that this will take nearly an hour to cook."

"Don't work so hard, Alfred," Dick told him, reaching out a hand. "A sandwich will be more than fine."

Alfred frowned. "Very well. I do have some fresh egg salad. Will that be acceptable?"

"Perfect."

Alfred frowned at the oatmeal again, and then smiled. "I can put this in the slow cooker and you can have it for breakfast."

Dick grinned. "You're almost as resourceful as Batman."

"I will take that as a compliment."

"As you should, " Dick said, reaching for one of the apples Alfred had mentioned. "So…why am I here?"

Alfred paused as he dropped two slices of bread into the toaster. "I think it best that you speak to Master Bruce about that."

Dick growled. "This is why I left, Alfred. 'It's for the best' seemed to be the answer he had to every question."

Alfred frowned again, placing a container of egg salad and a head of lettuce on the island. "I can understand your frustration, perhaps even why you felt it necessary to go. But I really feel he was better off with you here, both as Batman and as Bruce Wayne."

"Yeah, well, he didn't feel that way," Dick grumbled, putting the un-bitten apple back in its bowl.

"Perhaps not." Alfred gathered the now toasted bread and spooned a generous helping of egg salad onto one of the slices. "But he does miss you, even if he won't say it."

Dick snorted.

"He's not been the same since you've left," Alfred insisted, topping the salad with a few lettuce leaves and then the other piece of toast. "He's been moodier, and has taken more risks." He cut the sandwich, corner to corner. "I doubt very much Ragdoll would have been able to injure Batman as seriously had Robin been at his side." He set the sandwich in front of Dick and turned to pull a glass from a cupboard.

Dick grunted in response as he took a bite of his sandwich.

Alfred poured milk into the glass. "He may not be your actual father, but you definitely have inherited his stubbornness."

"Uh-uh," Dick shook his head, swallowing a mouthful of eggs and lettuce. "That was my mother."

"Well, you certainly are two of a kind," Alfred said, placing the glass in front of Dick. "Whether you believe it or not."

Dick eyed the glass. "Milk, Alfred?"

The servant crossed his arms. "I am not getting you a glass of beer. I don't care if you do live without supervision and are able to grow whiskers. You are still underage."

Dick creased his brow. "Who said anything about beer?"

"Well, you've made it very clear that you are older now…"

Dick shook his head. "I don't drink; I can't afford to be impaired. It's just…I think the last glass of milk I had was before I left here."

Alfred's gaze became rather parental. "Well, drink up. It's good for you, regardless of your age."

"Yes, Alfred," Dick smirked before taking a long drink.

"I think you'll find your room much as you left it," Alfred said after a moment as he transferred the oatmeal to the slow cooker. "Although, it's probably quite a bit neater."

Dick nodded, chewing his sandwich. "Thanks."

A cell phone rang somewhere.

"Oh dear," Alfred said, pulling the phone from his breast pocket. "Batman must need some assistance. You'll be able to find your room by yourself?"

"Unless you did some major renovations."

"It should be right where you left it. Yes, Master Bruce?" he spoke into the phone. "I'm on my way to the Batcave as we speak. Yes, he arrived a short time ago…" He bustled through the kitchen door.

Dick watched the butler go, feeling as though he should be doing something other than sitting in the kitchen eating a sandwich. He shook his head; this life was behind him. He scarfed the rest of the sandwich and downed the rest of the milk. Leaving the dishes in the sink, he gathered his bag and headed toward what had once been his bedroom.

Again he found that the hallways of Wayne Manor were largely unchanged, as was his room. It was a large room, a suite really, with a king-sized bed in the center of one wall. Opposite was a fireplace with a flat-screen TV mounted over the hearth. He'd been forbidden to use the fireplace most of the time; he noted the decorative screen was still locked. Around the fireplace was a seating area outfitted with a leather couch with two matching armchairs. He rubbed a hand over the worn spot in the leather of one of the arms where he'd always propped his feet. Situated on the wall opposite the door was a desk, standing between two windows. His signed poster of the Gotham Knights team from five years ago still hung over it. Two doors flanked the bed: one led to a large walk-in closet, the other to a bathroom. Dick tossed his bag in on the bed and pulled it open, hunting around for some clean underwear.

He took a shower, shampooing twice in an effort to get rid of all of the temporary dye. Even wet, he could tell that he still had some streaks of lighter brown, but at least he didn't look like a punk anymore. He decided to wait until morning to shave, and, hair still wet and wearing only a pair of blue boxers, he crawled into his side of the bed.

It wasn't until he rolled up onto his side that he realized what he'd done: he'd left room for Starfire. When he slept with her, which was ninety-plus-percent of the time now (He still fell asleep on top of his paperwork occasionally. In those cases, Starfire would simply carry him the few steps over to his own bed), he slept on the left side of the bed and she on the right. And here he was now, on the left side of the bed. He looked over the huge expanse of empty bed. "It's only for two nights," he told himself, rolling into the center of the bed, where he'd always slept when he was here. His right hand landed on his abdomen, the tip of his pinky in the indentation of his empty navel. He fingered it for a moment, his jaw tightening. "It's only for two nights," he repeated, rolling onto his stomach and falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Random thoughts:

Beast Boy returns! As does the BB/Cy friendly arguing, which I love writing.

I know, not much of an explanation as to _why _Robin doesn't want Batman to find out about him and Starfire…more on that later on.

I really had to think about how Robin got back to Gotham…I hope it makes sense and would have worked.

I had a blast writing Alfred…I think he's gonna be a fun character.

Yes, I know Ragdoll's more of a Flash villain, but he's shown up in Gotham a few times, and he was in an episode of _The Batman_ that I saw not too long ago, and he seemed fun; kind of a kinder, gentler Joker.

And ugh… I cannot tell you how many times I started typing "Robin" and had to back up to type "Dick." I think that might be the hardest part of this story…

There's a lot of angst coming up…I stress when I write angst, which makes me not want to write. But…long, encouraging reviews make me feel happy, which makes me want to write. So…if you want the next chapter soon, you know what to do…


	5. The Inheritance

_Teen Titans _and _Batman_ all belong to DC Comics. That's not what's on my business card.

_Chapter 5: The Inheritance _

Robin and Starfire were cuddling. They wore their uniforms, but were in his huge bed at Wayne Manor, arms around each other, legs entwined, lazily kissing now and again. They spoke very little, just an "I love you" in some language or another every so often. A faint tapping sounded somewhere, but Robin ignored it and pulled her closer.

After yet another soft kiss, Starfire opened her huge green eyes, smiled, and said: "Master Dick?"

Robin let out a surprised laugh. "What did you say?"

More tapping.

"Master Dick?" she repeated, her voice taking on a rather distinctive British lilt.

The spell was broken. Starfire faded into the blackness and Robin – Dick – groaned and rolled onto his back, opening his eyes. He was in his huge bed at Wayne Manor, but he was very much alone. The lilting voice belonged not to a young, beautiful Tamaranian princess, but an older, stuffy British butler. The tapping was said butler's knocking on his door.

"Master Dick?" Alfred asked again. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, Alfred!" Dick called. "What is it?"

"It is 7:45, and Master Bruce would like you to join him for breakfast at 8:30," the muffled voice replied.

Dick rubbed a hand over his still-whiskered chin. "Alright. I'll be there."

"Very good, then," Alfred answered, and then was gone.

Dick drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He was not looking forward to this.

Kicking off the covers, he ambled into the bathroom, used the toilet, washed his hands and face, shaved, and combed his hair, parting it neatly on one side. He'd forgotten how tough his cowlick was to tame. Of course, having gone to bed with wet hair last night hadn't helped anything. No wonder he'd started spiking it. It wanted to stand up anyway, why not let it?

Dick pondered his image in the mirror. He looked so _young._ This was not the image he wanted to show to Bruce. Heaving a sigh, he muttered, "I should have kept the beard," as he went back into his bedroom to find some clothes.

He dressed in a pair of gray wool pants and a pale blue button-down shirt. He left the top two buttons undone and rolled up the sleeves before stepping into the new loafers he'd bought for this trip. He wandered off toward the kitchen, shrugging his shoulders inside of his shirt. The clothes were new and fit well enough, but they just felt odd compared to his normal uniform.

He found Alfred in the kitchen, who directed him to the "Small" dining room, which was an intimate room with several large windows and a table that sat six. The "Formal" dining room had a table that sat twenty.

Out of a habit he didn't realize he still had, Dick sat to the right of the head of the table. Alfred quickly appeared and set a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of oatmeal garnished with several slices of apple and a generous helping of cinnamon in front of him.

Dick took a deep breath. "This smells great, Alfred. Nobody makes oatmeal the way you do."

"I am glad you approve, Young Sir."

Dick cocked an eyebrow at the "young" title, but just picked up his spoon. "Hey, could I get a cup of coffee?" he asked as Alfred turned to go.

Alfred turned back, his own eyebrow cocked this time.

"What?" Dick protested, a spoonful of oatmeal hanging in midair. "I was drinking coffee before I left." He put the spoon in his mouth.

"Yes, those frothy things they make at the barista on Central Avenue." Alfred let out a great sigh. "I do hope you are not asking me for a frappicino."

Dick shook his head, swallowing his oatmeal. "Black. Two sugars."

Alfred looked at him for a long moment but finally said. "Well, there's no law against it. Very well." He reached for Dick's milk.

"Leave the milk. Nothing washes down oatmeal better than milk."

A small smile quirked at Alfred's lips. "As you wish," he said as he turned to fetch the coffee.

Dick smirked to himself and turned back to his oatmeal, devouring it heartily. Cyborg was a good cook, but Dick hadn't had anything this delicious since…well…since he'd left here.

A few minutes later, Dick heard the door open again. Head still over his bowl, he proclaimed: "Alfred, this is the best oatmeal ever! Maybe I'll have to get a slow cooker so I can make this at…home…" He turned as he finished his sentence, trailing off as he saw who had entered the room.

A fight-or-flight response rushed through Dick's veins, cooling his cereal-warmed stomach. He swallowed, deciding to do his best to be civil in spite of his desire to run. "Mornin', Bruce," he said softly.

Even outside the Batsuit, Bruce Wayne cut an impressive figure: 6' 2", square-jawed and obviously muscular beneath his well-tailored clothes. He tried to project the image of something of a bumbling bachelor, but Dick knew better.

Bruce's face softened and he flashed the grin that endeared him to the local press. "Dick. I'm glad to see you made it in." He placed a hand briefly on the young man's shoulder as he passed. "How was your trip?"

"Uneventful." Dick took a few gulps of his milk. "I had to use two different names, though."

Bruce sat at the head of the table. "Sometimes that's necessary. I could have chartered you a plane, you know."

Dick shook his head as he scraped the last of the oatmeal from the bottom of his bowl. "Too obvious."

Alfred reappeared just then, carrying a large tray. He put it on the table and set a plate of eggs and toast in front of Bruce and then a small coffee service with two mugs between the diners.

Bruce glanced up. "Planning on joining us, Alfred?"

"Master Dick has requested coffee with his breakfast," Alfred replied simply.

Now it was Bruce's turn to cock an eyebrow, but it was quickly followed by that smile of his again. "Well…he is an adult now. You're not drinking too much I hope. It can make you jittery, throw off your reflexes."

"One cup in the morning," Dick said, dropping two sugar cubes in the steaming mug that had been set in front of him. He didn't mention the three or four cups he would have when he was pulling an all-nighter.

Bruce nodded and looked back up. "You know you're welcome to join us, Alfred. I've told you that many times before."

"Thank you, no," Alfred said, gathering up Dick's dishes. "I'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about. Can I get you anything else, Master Dick?"

"No. Thanks, Alfred."

"Very good, then." Alfred left, Dick's dishes clattering as he went.

Dick took a long pull on his coffee, holding the mug with both hands. He eyed Bruce. "So…what is this about my inheritance?"

Bruce sniffed. "You always were direct. Glad to see some things don't change." He took a bite of toast before continuing. "As you probably know, you are the only family your parents left when they died. Now that you're eighteen, you have control of their estate."

Dick rolled his mug between his hands. "That's the part I don't get. What estate? We had next to nothing."

"If I understand correctly, your father started performing about the same age you did, five or six." Bruce took a bite of eggs. "He lived a pretty simple life with the circus…and saved just about every penny he earned. He left a tidy little sum when he died."

"How much?" Dick asked. 'A tidy little sum' in Bruce Wayne's world could be quite a bit.

Bruce sipped his own coffee, shaking his head. "I'm not really sure. We – or rather you – have an appointment this morning with Ralph West, my chief accountant. He's been taking good care of it."

Dick knit his brows. "_Your_ chief accountant? How long have you known about this?"

Bruce seemed to take an inordinate amount of time chewing his toast before he answered. "Since shortly after I took you into my care. I was your legal guardian and was given control of your trust fund."

Dick squeezed his hands around his mug. "And you never told me about it?" He fought to keep his voice low.

"When you were younger, I didn't think you'd understand, or that it would upset you," Bruce said evenly. "And when you got older…well…you got cocky. I didn't want you coming up with some crazy ideas for it."

"More like you didn't want me not to need you," Dick slammed his fist on the table, spilling some of his coffee. "Dammit, Bruce, you lied to me!"

"I kept you out of trouble," Bruce told him, an edge to his voice. "That was my job as your guardian."

Dick laughed bitterly. "You really do see everything through the cowl, don't you?" He kicked his chair aside and stalked out of the room. "Have Alfred call me when it's time for this appointment," he snarled on his way out.

Dick slammed the door to his room when he got back to it. "This whole time…ten years!" he growled to no one in particular. "He let me believe that they'd left nothing! That I was all alone! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" He kicked at the base of the well-upholstered couch, spewing a few other curse words.

Seething, he stood in the middle of the large room, clenching and unclenching his fists, his chest heaving. It wasn't about money; it was about the fact that, at eight-years-old, his whole life had turned upside down in the space of a few seconds and all he had to remember it was a few tattered photographs. If there had been more, then he'd had the right to know about it.

He had an overwhelming urge to pound something. The heavy bag in the Titans gym had been replaced more than once because he'd gotten pissed about something and had taken it out on said piece of equipment. But considering the circumstances, it would be presumptuous to think he'd still be welcome in the Batcave's training facility. Plus, he had no idea when this appointment was. He pulled in a deep breath, held it a few seconds, and then let it out as slowly as he could. At least reasonably calm now, he kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt from his pants, unbuttoning it and tossing it on the bed. Drawing another deep breath, he closed his eyes and began a cycle of calming Tai Chi motions.

He went through the entire cycle and was about a third of the way through a second when there was a knock on his door. "Master Dick?" Alfred's voice sounded through the wood.

Dick returned to a neutral stance and exhaled a final breath. He still wasn't happy, but he was a lot more calm. "Yes, Alfred," he replied, gathering up his shirt.

"Master Bruce has asked me to inform you that your appointment with Mr. West is in half an hour, and that you should meet him in the garage in the next few minutes."

"I'm on my way," Dick called, rebuttoning his shirt.

Doing his best to keep himself calm, Dick made his way to the garage and found Bruce there standing next to the new Lamborghini. Bruce didn't say anything, just unlocked the doors with a press of the button on his keyring. Dick climbed into the back seat, still too mad at Bruce to sit next to him.

Bruce settled himself into the driver's seat and fastened his belt. "Dick, I…"

"Just go," Dick cut him off, refusing to make eye contact through the rearview mirror.

They drove in silence for several minutes, pulling onto Gotham City's main overpass. "Look, Dick…" Bruce tried again.

"I don't want to hear it, Bruce."

"Maybe not, but you're going to," Bruce snapped. He sighed. "I realize you're angry with me, and maybe with good reason. But I want you to know that everything I ever did I did to keep you safe, both physically and…otherwise. The last thing I ever wanted was for you to be unhappy."

Dick flicked his gaze in Bruce's direction. "You done?"

Bruce's jaw visibly tightened. "Yes."

"Then just drive."

They arrived a few minutes later at a huge office building in mid-town. Bruce parked in the attached parking structure and they got into an elevator that would take them to the top floor.

"At least try to look like we're getting along," Bruce muttered at him as the elevator doors opened into a spacious office complex.

Bruce flashed his smile at the receptionist and they were almost immediately shown into a large office furnished with dark woods and plush leathers. A man that was probably around Bruce's age sat behind a bulky mahogany desk, though he looked quite a bit older due to his thinning hair. He rose as they entered and smiled as he took Bruce's hand.

"Bruce! Great to see you. And this is Dick? What happened to that scrawny little kid?"

"Hormones," Dick deadpanned as he shook the man's hand.

The man laughed and gestured for them to sit in the posh leather armchairs that were opposite his desk. "I guess so. Can I have Maggie get you anything?"

"No thanks, Ralph, I'm fine," Bruce replied as he settled into his chair. "Dick?"

Dick shook his head. "I'm good, thanks."

"Dick, as you probably know, this is my chief accountant, Ralph West," Bruce introduced.

Dick nodded, "I'm sure we've met at some Wayne function or another, Mr. West."

Mr. West settled into his own chair. "Please, call me Ralph. I think the last time was the Christmas before you went away to school. How's that going?"

"It's…really great."

"Enjoy it now, it'll be over way too fast."

"So everybody tells me," Dick improvised.

"Well, on to business then," Ralph segwayed, pulling a file from a stand on the corner of his desk. "Before we start, can you confirm for me that you are indeed Richard John Grayson?"

"Uh…" Dick had left Gotham before he was old enough to need to carry ID, and once he'd moved to Jump he'd become Robin pretty much 24-7, so he had never bothered to get anything with his actual legal identity on it. He wasn't even sure he had a legal birth certificate anywhere. He had six fake ID's with him, but they were all back at Wayne Manor. He wasn't even carrying a wallet at the moment.

"I'll vouch for him, Ralph," Bruce said.

"Good enough," Ralph said, flipping open the file. "You are the sole heir of John and Mary Grayson, who died…" he paused, searching for the date in his paperwork, "…a little under ten years ago. They left very little in the way of material property, and I believe that has been largely disposed of."

Dick shot Bruce a glare.

"It went back to the circus, for the most part," Bruce said quietly.

Dick pushed a breath through his nose, forcing himself to keep himself calm.

"However," Ralph went on, "they did leave 928,310.42 in various cash instruments at the time of their deaths."

Dick's eyes flew open wide and his stomach lurched, causing him to cough several times.

"Maggie, can we get some water in here please," Ralph spoke into his intercom.

Dick heaved a couple of shallow breaths. "You're telling me that my parents left almost a million dollars when they died?"

"Mm-hmm. They were apparently very frugal. And since then, the Trustee of the funds, one Bruce Wayne," he glanced in Bruce's direction, "has given me latitude to do nearly whatever I could to make those funds grow. The current balance of the account is 5,283,138.12."

Dick started to cough again. Ralph's secretary came in with a pitcher of ice water and several glasses at that point, quickly pouring one and handing it to him. He gulped half of it down. "Thanks," he gasped at the wide-eyed woman. "I'm okay."

With a nod from Ralph, she left.

"I'm heir to five million dollars?!" Dick sputtered after another drink.

"No, you have five million dollars. You gained all legal right to it on your eighteenth birthday." Ralph looked over his glasses at Dick. "In a way, you're lucky that your parents didn't leave a formal will. With amounts like this, it's not uncommon for a higher age to be specified; I see 21 and 25 all the time. Certain life events also come up on a fairly regular basis: college graduation, marriage, birth of the first child. But under the law, if no other directions are left, 18 is the magic number."

"So…I can just do what I want with it?"

Ralph nodded. "Legally. Although, I have quite a few suggestions…"

Dick fidgeted in his chair. "Well…it's not that simple…"

"Dick," Bruce rumbled beside him. "He knows."

Dick's gaze swiveled around. "He knows…knows?"

Bruce closed his eyes as he nodded marginally. "He's helped me…obfuscate some of my more interesting purchases. That's why I wanted you to come out here instead of just sending you the paperwork. You'll be able to work with him and not have to hide anything."

Dick looked back at the accountant. "I'll do my very best to put this money to work for you and your teammates…Robin," Ralph said with a smile.

* * *

Ugh…I had a terrible time making myself sit down and write this chapter. It's pretty important, but…writing Bruce and Dick just isn't as much fun as writing the Titans. And Starfire's not even really in this chapter. But, Dick's going home soon, so…

The muse says: "I come up with better ideas faster if I have many reviews!"

Happy Labor Day those of you here in the States!


	6. Invitations

_Teen Titan _aren't mine. Maybe if I legally changed my name to DC Comics...

_Chapter 6: Invitations_

The meeting with Bruce's accountant lasted a little over an hour. After getting over the initial shock of suddenly being a millionaire five times over, Dick was able to have a fairly intelligent conversation with Ralph about what to do with all that money. In retrospect, Dick was pleasantly surprised to find that Bruce kept his nose out of it for the most part, only making the occasional "I have found that…" and "In my experience…" type statements.

Dick ultimately decided to re-invest most of the money; three quarters of that went into relatively low-yielding accounts that would have low penalties if money was withdrawn from them. The final quarter was put into long term but eventually higher-yielding accounts. And the rest of it – a little over a million dollars - was put into savings and checking type accounts, so it would be easy to get at, scattered across the globe in various names. They also worked out some convoluted ways of managing the accounts so it would be difficult, if not impossible, to trace them back to Dick.

As the meeting ended, Dick, while still mad at Bruce, had managed to move beyond be hostile. After a few silent minutes in the car on the way back to Wayne Manor, Dick cleared his throat and said softly: "Thanks, Bruce, for setting that up. I don't know that I would have been able to handle that all by myself."

"You're welcome," Bruce replied. "Although, you've done a pretty good job with the money I've given you."

Dick frowned. "I suppose you'll want that back now."

"No," Bruce said without missing a beat. "That money is yours. In fact, I've taken my name off of that account. But I'll still add to it every month, just as I have in the past."

Dick gaped. "But…I…"

"I made a pledge to take care of you when I took you in," Bruce explained. "Just because you're legally an adult doesn't mean I've been released from that promise. Even if you do have a little money of your own now." He flashed a small smile at Dick.

Dick worked his mouth for several moments, trying to get something to come out of it but not succeeding. "I…I don't know what to say," he finally managed. "Thank you."

Bruce waved a dismissive hand. "I just have one condition."

Dick rolled his eyes and turned to look out the window, his hostility starting to return. "Oh, here we go."

Bruce went on as if Dick hadn't said anything. "I want you to come back to Gotham at least once every three months and go out to dinner with me."

Dick snapped his head back to look at Bruce, again at a loss for words.

"I appreciate the fact that you've come back a few times," Bruce continued, "but we've not been seen together since you left. The gossip columns have commented on it a few times."

Dick scowled, casting his gaze downward. "Since when do you care what the papers say?"

"I don't. But you know as well as I do that the biggest part of keeping the Batman's – and Robin's – secret is the image that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson portray to the public."

"Everything through the cowl," Dick muttered.

"And…" Bruce's voice held a touch of emotion for the first time since Dick had returned. "I've missed you. Both as Robin and as Dick."

Dick looked back up. Bruce was not one to say things just because he thought he should. At least, not when he wasn't playing "Playboy Bruce Wayne." Still, Bruce had never exactly been Mr. Warm and Fuzzy, either. Dick narrowed his eyes. "Alfred put you up to that?"

The accusation hung in the air for what felt like forever before Bruce finally told the windshield, "Yes. But only because he knows it's the truth."

Dick frowned and crossed his arms. The man that had raised him had to be reminded to tell him that he cared about him. Still, in spite of everything, deep down, Dick knew that Bruce did care. And Dick cared that he cared, which is what made this all that much more difficult. "It's a fair offer," he said after a few moments of tense silence. "A generous offer. Thank you. Again."

Bruce glanced at him, nodding. "I know a new place that I think you'll like. I'll have Alfred make a reservation for us for tonight."

TtTtTtT

A little after 5:30 pm, Bruce led Dick through the front door of _A Sensory Delight_. They looked remarkably alike, both of them with their dark hair tousled, shirts with the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. Dick still wore the pale blue shirt and gray slacks while Bruce's pants were black and his shirt white with a burgundy pinstripe.

While the outside of the restaurant was pretty non-descript, the structural design inside was odd. The walls were covered with foam and the ceiling had a bunch of almost honeycomb-like niches in it. Every fifth niche or so had a TV in it. Even so, there was only a low hum in the room; it was far from noisy.

"What is this? A sports bar?" Dick asked after examining the room for a moment.

"They call themselves a 'Media Bar,'" Bruce replied. "The architecture is such that if you're not paying attention to a certain television, you can't really hear it. It's a pretty neat trick, actually. Try it out."

Dick focused on a nearby screen showing a game show. After a few seconds adjusting, he could hear everything the host said. He then changed his attention to a news station on a screen further away. Again, after a few seconds, it was really all he could hear. And when he turned back to Bruce, it all became just a dull hum. "Impressive," he commented.

Before Bruce could say anything else, the hostess arrived to show them to their table. They slid into opposite sides of a booth next to a small window. "The food here is actually quite good," Bruce said as Dick began to examine the menu that had been placed in front of him.

Their waitress appeared a few moments later. "Can I get you gentlemen something to drink? An appetizer?" she asked politely.

"I'll have the Cobb salad," Bruce said smoothly. "And whatever's on tap."

Dick flicked his gaze up briefly. As part of his playboy image, Bruce was something of a beer and wine connoisseur. But at the same time, he was the master of nursing a drink, and Dick had never seen him have more than one. He'd bet even money that the glass of beer Bruce had ordered would still be half full when they left.

The waitress turned to Dick. "Umm… the mozzarella sticks. And a diet cola."

The waitress smiled and nodded and headed back towards the kitchen. Dick caught Bruce's frown as he turned back to his menu.

"What? It comes with marinara sauce."

Bruce smirked and shook his head, closing his menu. "Have you found any good restaurants near school?" he asked evenly.

"I don't go out a lot," Dick answered, still studying his menu. "There is this one pizza place that we go to fairly regularly. The food's good, for what it is, they're pretty tolerant of how rowdy we get sometimes, and we usually don't get bothered."

Bruce nodded and Dick saw his attention shift. He followed the older man's gaze to a television about halfway across the room from them. It was showing a local newscast. "And in just a few minutes," the anchorman was saying, "we'll have Summer Gleeson with a very special interview."

Bruce turned back and his eyes locked with Dick's for a moment. "Probably just some actor," Dick surmised.

Bruce made a face indicating his agreement. He opened his mouth to say something, but the waitress arrived with their drinks before he could. Dick thanked her as Bruce took a sip of his beer. As the waitress stepped aside, a leggy redhead with perfectly coifed hair strode up to the table. "Bruce Wayne! Come to check out the hottest new place in town?"

Bruce favored her with a low-watt version of his famous grin. "Actually, I've been here several times. You remember Vicki Vale, the _Gotham Gazette's_ best reporter, don't you Dick?"

Dick flashed his own false grin. "How could I forget?"

"Dick Grayson!" Vicki sounded as though she'd found her long-lost brother. "How are you? What brings you home at this time? It's a little late for Spring Break, isn't it?"

"Laundry," Dick deadpanned. "Our butler's the only person who knows how to properly crease my pants."

Vicki laughed a little too hard. "You always were funny." She turned back to Bruce. "So Bruce, I was wondering…"

Bruce cut her off with a raised hand. He was watching the local newscast again. Both Vicki and Dick followed his gaze to find Summer Gleeson sitting down with Alfredo Hemiola, the mob boss that had stolen the "magical" totem that had supposedly granted him ruling power over Gothem. That incident was also the final straw in the stressed relationship between Batman and Robin, and had caused Robin to leave.

"Oh, _this_," Vicki commented somewhat derisively. "He's supposed to have found God or something."

"…I have discovered the error of my ways," Fredo was saying. "And while, for obvious legal reasons, I cannot admit to anything specific, I will say that I have done many things that have hurt people."

Dick snorted. Bruce threw him a glare.

"However," Fredo went on, "I will say that in my dealings, I have come into possession of the Miagani Indian totem that was once the icon of Gotham City. As a symbol of my new-found righteousness, I'd like to give it back. In fact, I'd like to give it back to the person who did the right thing in letting it go: Robin."

Bruce and Dick glanced at each other, both with pinched brows.

"Robin?" Summer Gleeson asked. "As in: Batman and Robin?"

"Yes," Fredo replied. "He'll know what I mean when I say that he did the right thing by letting it go. I'm sure that was a hard decision for him."

"You are aware that Robin now resides in Jump City?" Summer asked.

"I am. But I'm sure that Batman can get a message to him if he doesn't see this." Fredo turned to look directly into the camera. "Robin, I'm throwing a huge party this coming Saturday to celebrate my change of heart. I would be honored to give the Gotham City totem back to you."

Dick and Bruce looked back at each other again. "Check, please!" they both called at once.

TtTtTtT

After putting Vicki off with a tale about how they both realized they'd be late for the Gotham Knights game, Bruce drove the Lamborghini directly to the Batcave. It was a little over an hour later now, and Bruce and Dick were re-watching Fredo's interview. Bruce sat at the console in full Batman regalia, his cowl pulled down. Dick, having left his Robin things in Jump City, stood behind him in the clothes he'd been wearing all day.

"This smells fishy," Dick said as the screen went blank.

Bruce nodded, stroking his chin. "The real question is: why? He's pretty much had control of the city since he got that totem. The City Council is filled with his puppets and any crime beyond shoplifting has something to do with Fredo's organization. Or they take care of it. In a way, it's almost made my job easier."

"But it's still all about lining Fredo's pockets," Dick observed.

"Absolutely. Which is why this makes no sense." Bruce shook his head. "What is he trying to pull? And a bigger question: how are we going to handle this party?"

Dick frowned. "Couldn't Batman just take care of this?"

"No. He asked for you; there has to be a reason for that. Besides, I'm sure Bruce Wayne will be invited to this party; it will look strange if I don't show up." He rubbed his chin again and went on, almost to himself. "Still, that place is going to be crawling with Fredo's men. While I'm sure you can handle yourself, I'd feel better if you weren't the only one on the floor. I could invite some members of the Justice League, but that would really turn this into a spectacle, and only drive Fredo's motives further underground."

"We could invite the Titans."

Bruce glanced over his shoulder, dismissal flitting over his face before he turned around in the chair to face Dick.

"It would make sense," Dick went on. "Everyone knows I'm with the Titans now, why not bring them?"

Bruce pursed his lips. "From what I've seen I don't think they'd have any problems with Fredo's goons."

Dick frowned at the unintended insult.

"And it would be less obvious then inviting Superman and Wonder Woman, even in disguise. All right. Give them a call."

"No," Dick said. "I'll go home tomorrow just like we planned and make the 'acceptance' call from Titans Tower. That'll raise the fewest flags. I'll make some comment about bringing my new team to see my hometown or something. We'll come back on Thursday and go from there."

Bruce sat there blank-faced for a few seconds and Dick thought he was going to get a lecture about how stupid that idea was, but Bruce finally nodded. "Okay. In the meantime, I'll put some feelers out on the street and see what Commissioner Gordan knows about this." He turned back to the console, entering a few commands.

Dick stood there for a few moments, watching Bruce pull up the Gotham PD's Organized Crime database, not exactly sure what he was waiting for. "Don't you have an early flight?" Bruce finally asked.

"Yeah," Dick answered, brushed off again. "Good night."

"Good night," Bruce answered absently as Dick walked away.

* * *

Ugh! Real life has been toooo busy here lately. Robin was supposed to get home in this chapter, but between not having time to write and the fact that I've come up with some new ideas for that, I decided to get this much up. It's still 2300 words, so it's not nothing.

I have no idea whether or not my idea for the structure of the restaurant would work or not. I just thought it was a cool idea.

The Titans are going to Gotham! They're gonna meet Batman! And now the real adventure begins…

The muse works harder when she knows she's loved…


	7. Promises

Despite the fact that I'm rather ticked at DC Comics right now, I, alas, still cannot claim ownership of _Teen Titans._

_Chapter 7: Promises_

Robin arrived back at the Tower in the early evening on Tuesday. He found Ops much as he'd left it: Beast Boy and Cyborg were insulting each other as they played Gamestation and Raven floated in the corner reading a book.

"Hey guys," he greeted, dropping his duffle on the floor.

"Oh, no way!" Beast Boy cried, obviously reacting to Cyborg's character stomping his own.

"There's a reason I call you Grass Stain," Cyborg taunted.

The Gamestation was suddenly encased in a black aura and the game paused. "Hey!" the boys cried together. They turned around, the scowls on their faces quickly turning to shock. "Dude, what'd you do to your hair?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin looked much as he had when he'd left: worn jeans, hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses, and streaked hair, this time in cherry red. "It's a disguise," he frowned, annoyed that Beast Boy's attention span was so short that he wouldn't have remembered that.

"How was your trip?" Raven asked, putting her feet on the floor at the same time she released the Gamestation from her powers. The boys scrambled to pause and save what they'd been doing.

"Eventful," he replied. "Listen, I need to talk to you guys about…"

"ROBIN!"

Oh crap. Starfire…

It wasn't that Robin was unhappy to see her; on the contrary, she was a sight for sore eyes (not that he saw much of her as she literally flew into his arms and sealed her lips to his). No, it was just that he had been so wrapped up in planning out this upcoming mission, figuring out what to tell his team and how to present them to Batman that his romantic relationship with Starfire had been pushed to the back of his mind. Batman could NOT know about them. But getting Starfire to go along with that was probably going to be the hardest part of all of this…

All of that flashed through his head in just a few seconds. It quickly faded away as his senses were overcome by Starfire: the heat of her body, the soft but insistent press of her lips, the poke of her nails as she dug them into his back, the scent that was partly her shampoo and partly just _her._

"_You have a promise to me to keep, yes?"_ she whispered in Tameranian when their lips finally parted.

Robin pressed his forehead to hers. She wasn't going to make this any easier. "Yes," he murmured in English. "Yes, I do." At least their private reunion would give him a chance to explain all of this to her.

She began to drift away from him, pulling him by his hand. "I need to talk to Starfire," he explained over his shoulder as she led him away. "But I'm gonna need to talk to all of you in a bit…"

"I don't know, man," Cyborg shook his head, a grin pulling at his lips. "I don't like you like that!"

"Huh?" Beast Boy grunted, looking up at his mechanical friend. "Oh!" he got it after a second. "Yeah, Robin," he called. "I really don't want to 'talk' to you the same way you 'talk' to Starfire!"

Robin waved a dismissive hand as Starfire pulled him into the hallway. He had to run to keep up with her as she dragged him towards their room. She let go of him as they went through the door and he stumbled a bit from the inertia. As he regained his footing, he noticed Starfire had pushed her fingers underneath the hem of her halter top, in-between her breasts. He looked at her with questioning eyes as she pulled something out. "I have 'kept it close to my heart,' is that the expression?" she said as she opened her hand. His _**dpi'syr **_gem lay in her palm.

Robin smiled, loving the fact that she had taken the phrase so literally. He took her hand in both of his, kissing her fingers the way he had when he'd left. "Thank you for taking such good care of it." He loosened his hold and took the gem from her, lifting his shirt to press it into his navel.

Starfire's face lit up, and she yanked his shirt over his head. "Ow! Star!" he protested as his neck bent at an angle it wasn't meant to go. She ignored him as she tossed the garment away and pulled her skirt down around her hips, exposing her own _**dpi'syr**_ gem. She threw her arms around his neck, causing the gems to touch and Robin's emotions to ignite.

Robin sucked in a breath as a wave of love and relief washed over him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "God, I missed you," he whispered into her hair.

"I have missed you more than I can express," her voice vibrated near his ear.

He pulled back just enough to kiss her, softly at first, but it quickly become more intense as she returned the affection and both of their hands began to roam. He felt her thread her fingers through his hair, something he loved. Between that, the intensity of his emotions caused by contact of the _**dpi'syr**_ gems and just Starfire's utter nearness, Robin began to lose himself. Everything that had happened in the past few days and the tasks they were facing in the next few faded away as the only thing that existed in the universe was Starfire.

They separated after several minutes, their chests heaving. Starfire lifted from the floor, floating in her happiness, causing the gems to disconnect. Robin shook his head, the sudden quieting of his emotions making him feel as though someone had just shut off a loud radio.

"I find this even less aesthetically pleasing than when you left," she remarked, smiling down at him as she continued to run her fingers through his hair.

"It'll wash out, just like the blond stuff did."

"Then let us do that. I wish to see 'my' Robin again!" She extricated herself from his embrace and started to pull him towards the door again, somehow yanking off her boots one-handed.

"What…now?" Robin blustered, knowing very well what was going to happen if they wound up in the bathroom together.

"Certainly! You must be in need of a washing after your travels. I know I always am."

"But…Star…I need to talk to you about…"

"It will wait until you are clean." She pulled him into the bathroom and shut the door. "Remove the remainder of your clothing, please!" she ordered cheerily as she took off her neckplate.

TtTtTtT

Robin awoke before the alarm sounded. From the angle of the light through the window, he estimated it was shortly after dawn. He and Starfire had moved apart a bit in their sleep, but his hand still lay comfortably on her hip and her arm was still slung over his shoulder.

He focused in on her face. Her lips were slightly parted, causing her breathing to whistle slightly. She looked liked something out of a fairy tale; gorgeous and ethereal. She was adorable.

Robin rarely got to watch her sleep; most mornings she rose before he did and headed up to the roof to watch the sunrise. He would usually meet her up there; it was something they'd been doing almost from the first day they'd moved into the Tower. In retrospect, it was during those morning quiet times that he'd fallen in love with her.

One of the few other times he'd watched her sleep was one of his favorite memories of their relationship so far; maybe ever. He'd awoken early one morning before the alarm, just like today. It was raining, fairly heavily, with the occasional crack of thunder. Starfire slumbered peacefully, though. Robin had spent nearly half an hour just watching her sleep, relishing her contented beauty, before he finally couldn't resist reaching up and caressing her cheek. She'd blinked sleepily at him and snuggled into his embrace. They'd spent the rest of the day making slow, tender love to the sound of the rain.

Robin _really_ wished he could do that again, but other matters called. Before he could decide how to approach it, Starfire's eyes fluttered open. "Good morning," she murmured.

"_**Bonjour,"**_ he returned. He only spoke French when he was in his most romantic moods, and she knew it. He hoped to soften her up by speaking it now.

She smiled. _"How are you this morning?" _she asked, also in French.

"_Fine."_ He snaked his hand around to her back and pulled her to him, kissing her warmly.

She responded in kind, and the kiss ended a few moments later, but neither of them really moved, their lips brushing each other's as they continued their conversation.

"_I have not asked about your journey,"_ Starfire noted.

"_We were pretty busy last night,"_ Robin smirked.

Starfire blushed. _"I apologize if I was a bit…aggressive."_

"_Aggressive? You practically attacked me!"_

Starfire's blush deepened. _"I was happy to see you."_

Robin laughed and pulled her closer. _"It's alright, Star. I missed you, too."_

"Your journey," Starfire returned the embrace, switching back to English. "What occurred? It had something to do with your parents' estate, yes?"

"Yeah. They left me some money. Quite a bit, actually. I'm not Bruce Wayne rich, but it's enough that the Titans will be okay if Jump City ever pulls the plug."

Starfire looked perplexed for a moment, and Robin expected her to ask what he meant. But she must have let it go, because she asked instead: "And your _**k'norfka?"**_

Robin made a face. "Pretty much what I expected."

"I am sorry."

"It's not your fault." Robin sighed. "That's not all that happened while I was there." Starfire looked at him with curiosity. "Do you remember Alfredo Hemiola, the mob boss I told you about?" Starfire nodded. "Well, he's supposedly turned over a new leaf. He's throwing this big party on Saturday to celebrate and he wants to give the totem back, specifically to me."

Now Starfire did ask the question: "What does wishing to return this object have to do with manipulating foliage?"

Robin laughed. "No. To 'turn over a new leaf' means to change what you've been doing. Fredo doesn't want to be a criminal anymore, or so he says."

"Is that not good?"

"If it were true, but I don't believe him. I think it's a trick. But the only way to find out for sure is to attend the party. Which means I have to go back."

Starfire seemed to wilt a little. "When? For what period of time?"

"Tomorrow. And I don't know. Through the weekend for sure." He paused, pondering how to approach this. He decided to go for the good part first. "Would you like to come with me?"

Starfire's eyes brightened considerably. "You wish for me to accompany you to the City of Gotham?"

"Well, the entire team, but yeah. I think knowing he's got more than just 'that kid Robin' to deal with will make him think twice."

"Oh, this is glorious news!" Starfire sprang into a sitting position, clapping her hands and accidentally sitting on one of Robin's. He pulled it free and traced his fingers down her back, almost out of habit. "I shall get to see the place in which you matured," Starfire went on. "And I shall get to meet your _**k'norfka!"**_

"Yeah, about that," Robin sat up next to her, sighing mightily. "Bruce can't know about us."

Starfire's enthusiasm fizzled down a bit and she blinked at him. "Even though I shall be there with you?"

"Mostly _because_ you'll be there with me." Robin sighed again. "We're going to have to act like we're not a couple. And that includes sleeping in separate rooms. Oh, God," he started to panic a little, putting a hand to his face. "He _cannot_ know we're sleeping together."

Starfire's brows knit. "Robin, I do not understand. Do you not wish for your _**k'norfka**_ to be happy for you?

"He won't be, that's the point. To him, everything done in uniform is about protecting the public and getting the bad guy, and everything done out of uniform is about protecting the secret. And he has very definite ideas about relationships: anybody that could be a liability needs to be kept at arms' length, which is pretty much everybody. It's too dangerous to get close to people; either they'll blow your cover or one or both of you will get hurt." He shook his head. "I'm sure he's not happy with the fact that I'm even on a team. He'd blow his cork if he knew I had a girlfriend."

"Then…you fear his disapproval?"

"No…yes…I don't know!" Robin dropped his head into his hands. "Look, this is a mission, not a family visit. Things will just be a lot easier this way."

"You sound as though you are embarrassed about me." Starfire crossed her arms in a huff.

"No!" Robin straightened up and took her by the shoulders. "Starfire…you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. But you know how much I've struggled with this. Batman's way of being a hero is the only way I know, and making that work with being a Titan, with being in love with you…that hasn't been easy."

"I know," Starfire acknowledged. "But I still do not understand. If you are not worried about disappointing him, then what is it? You are an adult now, and with this inheritance you do not need to rely on him. Why do you feel it necessary to please him if you disagree with him so?"

"Because…I owe him everything. He took me in when I had nobody. He trained me; he made me Robin. And in spite of everything, in spite of how mad I am at him for some things and how much we disagree, and how much I hate it," he scrunched up his face, emphasizing his displeasure, "I still care what he thinks."

Starfire looked at him for a long few moments, a myriad of emotions flashing across her face. "Very well," she finally said, disappointment evident in her voice. "If you truly think it best."

"Thank you," Robin breathed in relief, taking Starfire into his arms. "You'll see, this will be for the best. He'd probably treat you like a suspect if he knew." He held her in silence for a bit, comforting himself with her embrace. "Would you like to hold on to my gem for safekeeping again?" he finally asked.

She pulled back to look at him, her eyes pinched. "You are going to remove your _**dpi'syr**_ gem once more?" Her voice was hard.

"Well…yeah."

She pushed him away. _"Now you ARE rejecting me!"_ she accused in Tameranian.

"What? No!" he sputtered back in English, too upset to try to think in Tameranian.

"_I have agreed __**yp'or**__ to your __**k'nofrka**__, but now you wish to remove your __**dpi'syr**__ gem? How can you not be rejecting me?"_

"But Star, we did this before!"

"_We were__** s'sty**__,"_ she reminded him, _"and you said you needed to be __**dp'rpmir r'dr**__. We shall be together this time, and you shall be Robin."_ Her shoulders sagged under his hands. _"Perhaps the __**dpi'syr**__ bond is not as strong with __**pggep'frtad**__."_

Robin scowled. "Are you insinuating that I don't love you?" His voice began to rise in anger. "After all we've been through? After last night?!"

"_If you do love me, how can you __**dihhrdy**__ not wearing your gem?" _she fired back. _"Did your soul not ache for me when we were apart?"_

"Of course it did! Star," he grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "You're the light of my life. You've given me a tangible reason for being a hero. Truth and justice are noble things, but they don't keep you warm at night."

"_Then why not wear your gem?"_ she demanded, slapping his hand away. _"Why not tell him what we have?"_

"Because he doesn't have it and he wouldn't understand why I would want it!!"

The two of them glared at each other for a moment, panting out their agitation.

"_If you truly are my __**dpi'syr**__, you will wear your gem. We are already __**uomh**__ to the _Batman_; certainly you could __**vpmypvy**__ another __**gs'drjppf**__ should the need arise."_

Robin shook his head in frustration. "Wait…I could do what?"

Starfire exhaled a noisy breath through her nose and switched back to English. "You could concoct another falsehood should the need arise."

Robin puffed out a breath. She had a point. "I…okay. If you'll go along with keeping our relationship from Bruce, I'll wear my gem. And Starfire," he took her hands in his. "I want you to know that our relationship, our bond, that _you_ are extremely important to me. That's part of the reason I don't want Bruce to know about us: the last thing I want is to see you hurt because he treated you badly. Please remember that over the next few days." He rest his forehead against hers. "And I don't need some magical jewel to help me feel it. Never doubt that."

Starfire squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then suddenly grabbed him and kissed him hard, pushing him onto his back. She squirmed over him, activating the gems. She pulled back as she settled, staring into his eyes. Robin's emotions, already excited, swirled into overdrive, making him light-headed. "But it's still a rush," he breathed.

She shifted her hips, disconnecting the gems. "I do not feel happiness regarding this situation."

"I don't either. I'd love to take you there and show you where I grew up and introduce you to everybody as my girlfriend, but…"

"It is too dangerous," she finished for him.

"Yeah," he sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I'll make it up to you when we get home, I promise. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the tip of her nose. "C'mon," he said, rubbing her upper arms. "I'll make you breakfast and then I'll brief the rest of the team. I'm sure there's stuff to do before we leave tomorrow."

Starfire rolled away from him, but he caught her hand before she slid off the bed. "Starfire?"

She looked back at him. "Yes, Robin?"

"Thank you for understanding."

Starfire frowned. "I do not really understand. But I trust you."

Robin felt something in his chest warm at her declaration and the smile on his face formed of its own volition. He pulled on her hand to draw her in for just one more kiss…

* * *

No Batman this time, but piles and piles of fluff! I needed some. Hope you liked! And yes…I DID write what happened in the bathroom! IF you're old enough, go check out _A Night At Wayne Manor and Other Cut Scenes_. But I'm tellin' ya; it's rated M for a reason!

I hope you understood the Tameranian. Robin still isn't fluent in it, and I wanted to portray that fact. It makes sense to me, but I know what those crazy words are supposed to mean!

The muse and I are a bit exhausted after this…but I'm sure lots of reviews will rev us right back up!


	8. Revelations

Even though DC Comics does some pretty dumb things with the _Teen Titans_ once in a while, that, alas, still does not make them mine.

_Chapter 8: Revelations_

Robin and Starfire, fully dressed in their uniforms, arrived in the kitchen area to find Cyborg busily adding to a pile of waffles.

"Mornin' you two," Cyborg greeted. "You disappeared pretty fast last night." He waggled his eyebrow.

"Yeah," Beast Boy put in from the table where he was eating what looked like a plate of tofu eggs. "How was your 'talk?'"

"We were able to come to an agreement," Starfire replied seriously, digging around in the fridge for some mustard.

Beast Boy looked to Cyborg for an explanation of that, but the mechanical Titan just shrugged.

"Where's Raven?" Robin asked as he poured some syrup over his waffles. "I need to talk to all of you after breakfast."

Beast Boy's eyes glinted. "Dude, this isn't some kind of group thing, is it? Because I am _so_ not into that."

Robin looked at him, his lip curling in disgust. "When are you gonna grow up? Not everything has to do with sex." He frowned. "Get a girlfriend already."

Beast Boy scowled as Starfire said, "I will fetch her, Robin." She walked off towards Raven's room, her eyes downcast, no spring in her step.

Cyborg turned on Robin. "What'd you do to her?" he accused.

Robin sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I'll explain it at the briefing."

Beast Boy suddenly dropped his fork. "Dude, she's not pregnant, is she?"

Robin glowered at Beast Boy. "No! She's okay. Neither of us are happy with the situation, but we've decided it's for the best."

"Oh, you're breaking up!" Beast Boy moaned.

"If you break up with her and she's pregnant, I'm gonna kick your ass," Cyborg growled.

"You're pregnant?" Raven's normally even voice held a bit of surprise as she and Starfire appeared in the doorway.

Starfire blinked in confusion. "I do not believe so. Robin, are you aware of something I am not?" Raven placed a hand on Starfire's belly, her eyes turning dark.

"She's not pregnant!" Robin barked, banging his fist on the table. "And we're not breaking up! Most of what I have to tell you has nothing to do with me and Starfire, so just drop it!"

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other sheepishly as Raven's hand disappeared beneath her cloak and her eyes returned to normal. A questioning look from Starfire drew a shake of Raven's head.

Cyborg and Beast Boy's teasing of Robin, at least where Starfire was concerned, had been reduced to friendly ribbing and thinly veiled requests for details since Robin and Beast Boy had come to blows over it during their forest mission a while back. When it did happen, Robin usually let it go or fired back a smartassed remark. But once in a while, one of them – usually Beast Boy – would step over the line and Robin would end up shouting. On the same hand, though, they were all fiercely protective of Starfire. Anytime the two of them had even the slightest tiff, Robin got threatened with bodily harm or the prospect of spending eternity in another dimension. Robin knew they all just wanted to show their support, but sometimes he wished they'd just mind their own business.

"So, what is it about?" Raven asked, putting her teapot on to boil.

"We're going on a mission," Robin replied around a mouthful of waffle.

"Not another camping trip," Cyborg asked suspiciously.

Robin shook his head. "Nope. Totally urban this time."

"Good," Raven commented. "Mother Nature and I don't always get along."

"So, where are we going?" Cyborg pressed, putting a plate of six waffles on the table and sitting in front of it.

"Can I finish my breakfast first?" Robin asked, irritated.

Starfire stopped licking the mustard from her plate and put it on the table. "Yes, please. It is coming soon enough. Let us enjoy a friendly meal."

"Okay," Raven responded, floating over to the table, tea in hand. "Why don't you tell us about your trip, Robin?"

"Actually, a lot of what I have to tell you in the briefing has to do with that."

"Oh."

"Um…how's Batman?" Beast Boy tried after a couple moments of silence.

"The same."

The table fell into silence again as the Titans ran out of things to say.

Robin seemed to pay particular attention to his waffle as the rest of them stared at him. When he didn't crack, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven swiveled their gaze to Starfire. She shrugged.

Robin's eating slowed to a crawl; he was spending more time toying with the waffle than actually eating it.

"Oh, c'mon! Now you're just picking at it!" Cyborg finally roared.

"Fine," Robin grumbled, pushing his plate away. "Let's go." He stalked down to the main screen in Ops, his teammates trailing behind. He took his place in front of the screen, waiting as the rest settled onto the curved sofa.

"While I was in Gotham, I saw this news report," Robin began. He tapped a key on the console and the interview with Alfredo Hemiola came up.

"I seriously doubt that guy's on the level," Cyborg commented as the clip ended.

"That was our assessment," Robin returned. "Mine and Batman's that is." He straightened his shoulders and looked over his teammates. "Our mission is to go to Gotham City and attend the party, while working with Batman to find out just what Fredo's up to. We're hoping that having you all there will make him think twice about trying something really big," Robin explained. "Batman's doing some snooping as we speak; hopefully he'll have some more information once we get to Gotham."

"We're gonna work with Batman? Sweet!" Beast Boy crowed.

"Don't get too excited," Robin told him.

"But it's _Batman!"_ Beast Boy hopped up and down on the sofa cushion.

"How long will we be there?" Raven asked, punching a hole in Beast Boy's enthusiasm.

"We leave tomorrow and we'll be there through the weekend at least. Hopefully we'll be back Tuesday or Wednesday." Robin paused, his jaw setting for a moment. "For security reasons, we're going to be staying with Batman," he finally said, obviously not pleased with the subject. "So, there's some stuff you guys need to know. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how important it is that everything I tell you stays secret." He looked them over for a moment, letting the weight of that statement sink in. "The first is probably this." He pulled a glove off and scratched a thumbnail beneath his mask, peeling it away. "My legal name is Richard Grayson."

Cyborg thumped his foot on the floor in surprise. "Dick Grayson? _That_ Dick Grayson? _Bruce Wayne's_ Dick Grayson?"

Robin nodded.

"I thought you went away to school."

"That's the story Bruce fed to the press when I left," Robin explained.

"So that means…" Cyborg started slowly, obviously thinking out loud. "DUDE! Bruce Wayne is Batman!"

"That guy? No way!" Beast Boy sniffed. "I thought all he cared about was partying and women. Not that those are bad things," he grinned.

"That's what he wants you to believe, to throw you off the trail," Robin said. "Trust me, he's not really like that."

"What about his charity work?" Raven asked as she glared at Beast Boy.

"Oh, he _does_ care about that," Robin switched his gaze, nodding. "It's one of the few things in his public persona that's really real." He exhaled noisily through his nose. "I don't know what he's going to think of all of you, but don't be surprised if he judges you pretty harshly pretty quickly. Just…be on your best behavior and act _professionally._" He cast a glance at Beast Boy.

"What?" Beast Boy demanded.

"The only thing that makes him happy is to do things his way," Robin went on. "And even then it's not that easy. But if we're mature and really show him what the Titans can do, the mission should run smoothly." He paused. "I hope."

"So…are we not going to follow Batman's lead on this?" Beast Boy asked.

"We probably will," Robin answered. "All I'm really trying to say is that he's not the easiest guy to please, so don't expect a big love-fest.

"And speaking of love-fests…" Robin grabbed the chair at the console and spun it around, frowning as he sat down. "Bruce _cannot_ know about me and Starfire." He ran a tired hand over his face. "We've agreed to cool it during this mission, but you two," he gestured to Cyborg and Beast Boy, "have got to keep your mouths shut. All those innuendos and teases have got to stop. What would sound like a joke to most people would be a clue to him. There's a reason they call him the World's Greatest Detective." He swallowed. "And I mean all the time, too." He pulled a breath. "Wayne Manor is this huge place, like something out of an old movie, with more rooms than you can imagine. Bruce lives there alone, with the exception of our – his – butler, Alfred. And being as suspicious as he is, he's got every inch of that place under surveillance."

"_Every_ inch?" Beast Boy pressed. "Even the bathrooms?"

"Especially the bathrooms. People do stuff in there because they think no one's watching."

"Dude!" Beast Boy cringed. "That's not right!"

"Yeah, we've had several arguments about it," Robin conceded. "Generally he only reviews the recordings if something suspicious happened, but I wouldn't put it past him to watch us just so he can get a better feel for who we are. But my point is: you have to assume that everything you do will be seen and everything you say will be heard."

"So you two won't be able to…um…hold hands or anything, even when you're alone?" Cyborg noted. "Harsh."

Robin looked to Starfire, who sat with her eyes cast downward and a sad frown on her lips. "No," he said softly. "No, we won't."

The room fell into silence as Robin stared at Starfire and Starfire sat staring into her lap while their teammates looked on uncomfortably.

"But…why?" Raven finally asked.

"Yeah, does Batman have something against aliens?" Cyborg added.

"No," Robin shook his head. "It has nothing to do with aliens. It's a…father-son thing."

It wasn't much of an answer, but since all of the Titans had father issues to one degree or another, it was good enough.

Raven cleared her throat after a few moments of digestion. "Is there anything else, Robin?"

Robin snapped his head up. "Yes. We need to call somebody to come and house/city sit. This is going to be in the news and I'm sure somebody will get some bright ideas once they hear we're away. We have to pack. Like I said, we're leaving tomorrow."

"Are we gonna have to disguise ourselves?" Cyborg looked skeptical.

"No. We're going as the Titans. We're taking the T-Ship." He paused. "We'll work out the small details with Batman once we get in. But first things first: gather 'round," he ordered, replacing his mask, turning the chair around and tapping a few commands into the console. "We need to record a message to send to the Gotham press to let Fredo know we're coming. Look tough."

"We are tough!" Cyborg declared. He nudged Starfire, who still looked depressed. "C'mon, Girl, show your stuff!"

Starfire looked up at him with sad eyes.

Cyborg quirked a smile, a gleam in his real eye. "Star…we're sending a message to the guy that's keepin' you and Rob apart!"

Starfire's eyes narrowed and began to glow. She clenched her fists and set her jaw.

"That's our girl!" Cyborg turned to Robin. "We're ready back here."

Robin let a smile touch his lips before assuming his defiant scowl. He hit the record button and cleared his throat. "Attention, media of Gotham City," he began. "This is Robin, former partner of Batman. I am sending this message in response to Summer Gleeson's interview with Alfredo Hemiola on Monday. I sincerely hope your claims of reformation are true, Fredo, but you'll forgive me for being skeptical. I remember that choice that you forced me to make, and you are a first-class scumball for putting me in that position. But since my job is not only catching criminals but showing them the error of their ways, and as a show of faith that you might have actually listened, I accept the invitation to your party this coming Saturday. I'm sure you won't mind if I bring along my team, the Teen Titans. It'll be great to show them where I grew up. But know this, Fredo," Robin jabbed a finger at the camera, "we will be watching you, and you may think you know how to deal with Batman, but the Titans are a whole different story." He gave a false smile. "See you Saturday!" The last sounded like a threat.

He slapped off the camera and turned the chair around. "Go pack. I'll send this and make some calls to see who can Tower-sit on such short notice. And get some rest. I want to do a visible patrol tonight."

Nods were exchanged and the Titans scattered to various parts of the Tower to prepare for their mission.

TtTtTtT

At least one of the Titans patrolled almost every night. Most nights there were several shifts of singles or pairs. Cyborg had created a pretty mixed up schedule that kept everyone from working too many nights a week and gave everyone a chance to work with everyone else on a fairly regular basis.

A couple of times a month, they'd do a "visible" patrol. They would all go out together and separate once they got to a main intersection. The smaller teams would then go to the more popular places: the park, the club district, downtown. They actually saw less action on those nights as the busier places generally had less crime, but the point was to be seen. In addition to putting the criminals on notice, it was good PR. Jump City knew the Titans were on duty.

Tonight, Cyborg and Starfire had teamed up after the split and they currently perched on the edge of the roof of a shopping center situated opposite one of Jump City's most popular clubs. Starfire hovered and Cyborg did his best to look stern.

"You okay with this, Girl?" Cyborg asked after they'd been there a few minutes.

"Our vantage point?"

Cyborg shook his head. "No. Not being with Rob. Having to lie to Batman."

Starfire sighed. "It would not be my preference, but Robin is my _**dpi'syr**_ and I have decided it would be best to respect his wishes in this matter."

"You're a lot calmer about this than I would be. Personally, I think he's being a dick."

Starfire landed on her feet and blinked at Cyborg. "Should he not act like a 'Dick?' Is that not his name? Or at least a variation of it?"

Cyborg chuckled. "No. I mean yes…that's his name, but that's not what I mean. I mean he's being a jerk, a coward."

"I…do not totally disagree with that assessment." Starfire's puzzled look deepened. "Why would parents give their child a name to indicate that he is cowardly?"

"I doubt that's what it means. Richard means…" Cyborg's eye flickered as he accessed his internal database. "Humph! 'Brave Leader.'"

Starfire giggled. "A proper name indeed!"

Cyborg snorted. "Yeah. Listen, Star, if you get lonely or sad while we're away, I want you to know that I'm here for you, and I'm sure BB and Rae are too."

Starfire favored him with an incandescent smile. "I thank you, Friend Cyborg." She lifted off of her feet and floated in to hug him, but before she reached him, they heard a scream.

"Stop it! Go away!"

They looked down to see a young man pulling at a young woman, both of them dressed for a night out clubbing. Starfire grabbed Cyborg's backplate and the two descended to the street.

"Hey! Let her go!" Cyborg boomed as they landed.

The man jumped back. "I wasn't doing anything!" he protested.

"Didn't look like nothin' to me," Cyborg growled back.

"He was acting like quite the dick, yes Cyborg?" Starfire's voice had a taunting quality underneath her normal questioning.

Cyborg grinned nastily. "A total dick."

"Come on! She danced with me all night, and I spent a fortune buying her drinks!"

"That doesn't mean she gave up her right to say 'no.' C'mon, dickhead, let's see what club security has to say about this." Cyborg muscled the guy back into the club.

Starfire watched them go, puzzlement on her face. "Dickhead…?"

"Oh…" the girl they'd rescued moaned from behind her.

Starfire snapped back to herself. "Are you injured?" she asked hurriedly. "Do you require medical attention?"

"No…" the girl fretted. "I'm just shaken up. He ruined my purse, though." She held out the bag, the strap snapped and the side torn open.

"How awful! Do you wish for me to summon the authorities?"

"I…yeah. It'll teach that dickhead that no means no."

Starfire guided the girl down the street. "Indeed. You should never be forced to do something you do not wish to do." She paused, pondering how that axiom fit into her own life. "But if you agree to do it, you must deal with the consequences." She frowned.

"'Scuse me?"

"Oh! It is nothing. I am merely doing the conversing with myself. Come," she put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Let us journey to the station of police."

TtTtTtT

"Thanks for coming on such short notice," Robin said to the three Titans that had gathered in Ops.

"No problem," Aqualad replied. "Just don't ask me to travel via Kid Flash again."

"You get used to it," Jinx commented, sounding bored.

"Besides, how are you getting home?" Kid Flash asked.

Aqualad turned a little green.

Robin continued on, ignoring Aqualad's discomfort. "The only thing you really have to do other than watch the city is feed Silky, Starfire's pet."

"Starfire's pet what?" Jinx asked. "Cat? Dog?"

"Mutant caterpillar."

"Ewww!" Jinx shuddered with disgust. "You do it." She shoved Aqualad.

"Me?! Why me?"

"You're the one that talks to animals."

"_Marine_ animals. I don't do immature mutated insects."

"I'll do it," Kid Flash broke in. "Jeeze you guys, it's a _caterpillar._ How bad can it be? Let's see the little guy."

Right on cue, Starfire came in carrying Silky. "Robin, I have brought Silky as you requested," she chirped.

"Holy Hell!" Jinx spat.

"I am not entirely acquainted with this planet's religious beliefs, but is not Hell by definition not holy?" Starfire asked.

"She's just surprised, Star. Not all caterpillars are the size of housecats," Robin explained. "Kid Flash is going to take care of Silky while we're gone."

"Wonderful!" Starfire sang. "Come, I shall show you the specifics." She tucked Silky under one arm and grabbed Kid Flash, dragging him toward the kitchen.

Robin smiled as he looked after them, shaking his head. "Help yourself to anything in the fridge or the cupboards, though I can't promise you'll like what you find," he told Jinx and Aqualad.

"What about…" Aqualad started when Robin's communicator rang.

"Robin here," he said as he flipped it open.

"You about ready to go down there?" Cyborg's voice asked.

Robin looked up to see Silky in Kid Flash's arms, licking his face while Starfire looked on, giggling merrily.

"Just about," Robin replied. "We'll be up in a few." He thanked Aqualad and Jinx again and called to Starfire, who kissed Silky's head and waved to her friends.

Emerging onto the roof, Robin and Starfire found Raven using her powers to pack their luggage into the T-Ship's storage compartment.

"There you are," Cyborg said as he came around from behind the ship. "I was getting ready to leave without ya'll."

"Like you would do that," Beast Boy challenged from his open pod in the T-Ship. "We're going to see Batman! We can't see Batman without Robin!"

"He might be right for once," Raven droned as she sealed up the storage compartment.

"Well then, let's go!" Cyborg waved everyone towards the ship. "Hey, Rob," he stopped Robin as he passed. "This is probably your last chance for a while. Go ahead." He nodded in Starfire's direction.

Robin gave him a quizzical look, and Cyborg winked at him. Robin looked over to Starfire, and a sly smile crept onto his face.

"Hey, Starfire," he called.

Starfire turned back to look as Robin took a couple of long strides toward her, grabbing her shoulder and the back of her head, guiding her into a fierce kiss. Starfire jumped but quickly returned it with much fervor. They pulled apart after a few moments, breathless.

"_**Yr sefte,"**_ he whispered. "Don't forget that."

"_**Je t'aime,"**_ she returned. "You do not forget that either."

Robin raised his hands to her cheeks, pressing his forehead to hers for a moment before sliding his hands down her arms and hooking one of his pinkies through hers.

"Come on," he said, pulling a deep sigh. "Let's go."

* * *

Man…these chapters are like Silky on zorkaberries! They just keep growing and growing…I really thought that bit where Robin "outs" himself to the team would be this short little thing and then we'd be off to Gotham, but no! Beast Boy kept asking stupid questions and Robin wouldn't shut up and now, 3500 words later, here we are! But I promise…Batman _will_ be in the next chapter!

And yes…that's what Richard really means.

I have no idea whether or not that's how KF and Jinx get around; it just seemed funny at the time.

The muse has been working hard, but she works harder when she knows she's loved!


	9. First Impressions

_Teen Titans_ and _Batman_ belong to DC Comics. That's not me, unfortunately.

_Chapter 9: First Impressions_

The T-Ship hummed as it powered down. "Watch your step as you get out," Robin's voice sounded in Raven's ear. "The platform only has a couple walkways attached to it."

Raven popped the canopy of her pod to get her first view of the Batcave. It was much more cave-like than she expected, with craggy rock formations and an actual flying mammal here and there. A few spotlights attached to the landing platform provided the low light. Robin met them all at the nose of the ship and led them up one of the walkways. They passed several side chambers before coming to a large cavern that was obviously the heart of the Batcave. Workstations filled with gadgets lined the walls and at the center was a console with an enormous screen.

"Whoa," Beast Boy breathed. "And I thought we had a big screen!"

Robin opened his mouth to respond, but it was not his voice that spoke.

"Welcome to Gotham City, Teen Titans," a deep voice oozed from somewhere in the darkness. The Dark Knight himself seemingly appeared from nowhere, materializing out of the darkness to stand beside the computer station.

Beast Boy squealed like a teenage girl. "Oooo…it's Batman!"

Raven elbowed him in the ribs. "_Professional_, remember?"

Beast Boy coughed, artificially lowering his voice and standing up straighter. "Right. Professional. Right."

Batman ignored Beast Boy's antics. "Thank you for coming. Fredo's been a thorn in Gotham's side for too long. Hopefully, with your help, we can finally bring him down."

Raven felt a wave of disbelief roll off of Robin. Batman was actually _thanking_ them?

"As I'm sure Robin has told you," Batman went on, "Fredo claims he's gone straight. He's throwing a party this Saturday…"

"Um…Mr. Batman? Sir?" Beast Boy's voice was squeaky again, although this time he sounded more like a hurt puppy. "I hate to interrupt the briefing and everything, but, is there I bathroom I can use?" He looked pained, and Raven could feel his tension even though she hadn't opened herself to him.

Batman stood very still and silent for what felt like forever and Raven began to think that Beast Boy was going to get told to just deal with it. But finally Batman said: "You have had a long trip; it would make sense to get you settled." He twisted around and pressed a button on the console before turning back. "You'll be staying with an associate of mine, Bruce Wayne. I've called his butler to meet you…"

"Bruce," Robin broke in, yanking off his mask at the same time. "They know."

Again Batman stood silent and stock-still. "I assume they know how to keep a secret," he said at last.

"I can assure you, we are most trustworthy," Starfire replied defiantly.

After another long moment of silence, Batman removed his cowl to reveal a handsome man just beginning to show the signs of age. "Welcome to the Batcave and Wayne Manor," he said, his voice a bit lighter. Raven was having trouble reading him; he was very closed off. But she could tell he wasn't happy with Robin's revelation.

"Ah, I can see we are all getting acquainted," a prim voice called from off to their right.

"Hey, Alfred," Robin smiled as a slim, balding, older man in a proper suit approached. "Titans, this is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler," Robin introduced. "Alfred, these are the Teen Titans." He indicated his friends in turn. "Cyborg."

"Yo," Cyborg greeted.

"Beast Boy."

"Uh…hi." Beast Boy still seemed in pain.

"Raven."

"Hello," the sorceress said simply.

"And Starfire, Princess of Tameran," Raven saw Robin direct the last comment towards Bruce. She didn't need to use her powers to know Robin was trying to impress him.

"Ah, royalty!" Alfred enthused. "It has been a long time since I've had the pleasure." He stepped in front of Starfire and bowed deeply.

"You are a…servant?" Starfire asked uncertainly.

"Well, technically," Robin answered, coming to Starfire's side. "He's also the inside man of the Batman operation. And a really good friend."

"Oh!" Starfire's hesitation disappeared. "I am always happy to meet a friend of Robin's."

Raven braced herself; she really expected Starfire to hug Alfred. But instead, Starfire returned Alfred's bow, her hair spilling over her head to sweep against the floor.

Alfred laughed a bit nervously as she stood back up. "It is my pleasure to meet you as well, Princess Starfire. As it is the rest of you, Mistress Raven, Master Beast Boy, Master Cyborg."

"Alfred, please show our guests to their rooms and get them settled," Bruce said. "We'll have the briefing after dinner."

"Very good, Master Bruce," Alfred acknowledged. Come along, young Titans." He began to lead the way towards an elevator nestled against the wall.

"Um…Alfred?" Beast Boy was really whining now.

"Yes, Master Beast Boy?"

"Do you think you could show us the bathroom first?

"Oh! Yes, I suppose you have been on a long journey," Alfred repeated Bruce's words. He eyed the elevator. "But I do not believe we will all fit in the lift."

"It's okay, Alfred," Robin said. "You take Beast Boy up in the elevator and I'll take everybody else up the stairs."

"Excellent idea Master…er…" He looked Robin over, examining his unmasked eyes and uniform.

"Robin."

Alfred nodded. "Very good, Master Robin." He turned to Beast Boy, who was now hopping up and down on one foot. "Come along, Master Beast Boy." He led him into the elevator.

Robin directed the rest of them back to the T-Ship to gather their bags and then led them several stories up a narrow staircase. He pushed open the heavy door at the top and they emerged into a well-furnished study lined with bookshelves. "This is Bruce's private office," Robin explained as he shut the door/bookcase. "Come on, I think I know where Alfred's putting us." He guided them through several corridors and down two flights of stairs.

Raven trailed behind the rest of the group, taking her time to look over the many paintings and tapestries and sculptures that lined the halls. She marveled over the quality of the paneling and the carpets. This place was so different from Titans' Tower. It reminded her vaguely of the monastery in Azarath where she'd grown up: part comfortable home, part museum.

"Wow, this is quite the place," Cyborg commented as they passed a rather large marble statue, one of many pieces of art they'd seen.

"Yes, even the royal palace of Tameran was not this well appointed," Starfire added.

They arrived at a landing overlooking the foyer. "Bruce has a thing for ancient art," Robin commented. "Alfred!" he called over the railing. The rest of them looked down to see said butler leading a relieved-looking Beast Boy into the space below.

"Hey guys!" Beast Boy answered. "The bathrooms in this place are like some kind of spa!"

"Have you ever been to a spa?" Raven questioned.

"Well, no," Beast Boy admitted as he and Alfred started up the stairs. "But it was really nice!"

"Are we staying in the guest wing?" Robin asked as they were joined on the landing.

"Indeed," Alfred replied. "This way." He turned down another hallway.

"Dude, this place is a maze," Beast Boy remarked after a few more turns.

"Not really, but it can be a little confusing," Robin said. "It's a big place."

"On the contrary, I believe it has quite a logical layout," Alfred disagreed.

"Yeah, but you've lived here forever, Alfred," Robin countered.

"Well, not forever, but it has been quite some time, to be sure." He turned another corner and stopped. "Here we are; the guest wing." He stepped aside to reveal a hallway with three doors on each side and a windowed door that led to a small balcony at the end. "Master Robin was kind enough to tell me a bit about your preferences. I do hope you find your accommodations comfortable."

He opened the first door on the left. "Mistress Raven, this is your room."

The room wasn't large, but it comfortably fit the double bed, armchair, side table and wardrobe that it housed. The far wall was lined with windows and a door in the corner led to a small bathroom. The curtains and bedspread were a deep blue and the sheets were a contrasting purple. There were clusters of candles on several of the flat surfaces.

"I was uncertain as to what aroma you prefer during meditation, so the candles are unscented," Alfred clarified.

Raven was pleasantly surprised. "This is…really nice," she said as she walked to the center of the room and placed her bag on the bed. "I brought my own incense, if that's okay."

I'm certain that will be fine," Alfred nodded. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Raven thanked him and Alfred told her she was most welcome before walking across the hall and opening the opposite door. "Master Beast Boy, I'm afraid Master Robin didn't tell me very much about your room other than it was 'very messy.' I do hope this is acceptable." Raven wandered across the hall out of curiosity and floated up to peek over the others' heads. The room was nearly identical to hers except it was done in shades of deep green with a bit of leopard print trim here and there.

"This is great!" Beast Boy proclaimed, throwing himself on the bed. "Hey, my own bathroom!" he noticed after a moment. He sprang off the bed and bounded over to the door. "Cy, we _so_ have to do this in the Tower!" he declared from inside the small room, his voice echoing off the tile.

"That's not a bad idea," Robin mused, rubbing his chin.

Both Raven and Cyborg frowned at Robin, knowing pretty much what Robin was thinking. "Oh no…then you'll just run the hot water out that much more often," Cyborg retorted. Robin shrugged, his blue eyes shining innocence. Seeing how boyish their leader looked without his mask unnerved Raven just a little bit and she could feel much of the same thing coming from Cyborg. He shook it off by rolling his own eye. "We'll talk about it when we get home."

Alfred led them down to the next door, all five of them following. "Master Cyborg, Master Robin told me of your electrical needs, but, unfortunately, it would require rewiring the entire house. There are some alternate current sources in the Batcave, but I don't believe you'd be very comfortable down there."

"I've got an adaptor," Cyborg said. "Regular house voltage will be fine; it'll just take a little longer." He peered into the room. It was much like Raven's and Beast Boy's, this time done in various shades of blue. A hospital bed stood in the corner, the head cranked all the way up.

"I do hope the bed is acceptable," Alfred repeated. "Master Robin said you don't lie down when you sleep, and this is the best I could find on such short notice."

Cyborg studied it a moment. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Thanks, Al." He slapped the older man on the shoulder as he entered the room, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"You're very welcome," Alfred shook his head as he regained his balance. "Princess Starfire, your room is across the hall." He took a few steps and opened the door. "I regret I was unable to find a round bed."

The room was more or less identical to the others, this time done in pink and purple.

"Oh, it is glorious!" Starfire sang, floating into the room. "I am most grateful for your efforts!"

"It is my pleasure, Your Highness."

Starfire landed on the floor, blinking her large green eyes the way she did when she had a question. "I do not believe I was floating that high."

Robin chuckled. "No, Star, that's just a very formal way of addressing royalty."

Starfire took a step and put her hand on Alfred's shoulder. "There is no need for such formality; you are Robin's friend. I am certain we shall be friends as well."

"If that is what you wish, Princess Starfire."

Starfire looked to Robin, the question still in her eyes.

Robin grinned and shook his head. "Don't bother trying to talk him out of that; he still calls me 'Master Dick' even when we're alone."

"It is only proper," Alfred added.

"Call us what you want, Alfred, you're still a lot more than just a butler."

Alfred smiled, but replied by saying: "Your old room has been made up for you, Master D – Robin, but I thought you might want to stay with your friends, so I've prepared this room as well." He strode kitty-corner across the hall to one of the last doors.

"Actually, I'd like that very much, thanks, Alfred," Robin said, walking into the red and black furnished room and tossing his bag at the foot of the bed. "But you really didn't have to go to all this trouble; I'm sure whatever you normally have in these rooms would have been just fine."

"Well, it is not often that we have overnight guests."

Robin grinned and turned to look at the rest of his team hovering outside his door.

"Oh good, I'm glad you're all here," Alfred said, stepping out into the hall again. "As you can see, there's a balcony overlooking the garden here; feel free to use that. And this final room has been set up as a lounge for you." He opened the door. "There's a large-screen television hooked up to satellite and a video gaming system. Internet access is available from that desk," he gestured to the far side of the room. "And a refrigerator filled with soft drinks and snacks." Cyborg and Beast Boy wandered into the room, immediately drawn to the TV and video games.

"I will leave you to get settled," Alfred continued. "I will call you when dinner is ready; it will about an hour." He bowed and Robin thanked him again as he left.

Stepping into the lounge, Robin exhaled a noisy breath through his nose as Raven came to his side. "What is it?" she asked in a low voice.

"He's trying to keep us in this part of the house," Robin grumbled.

"Alfred?"

"Bruce."

"Can you blame him?" Raven reasoned. "Five teenagers, four of which he doesn't know at all, one that's been away for almost three years, in a place like this? I'd sequester us, too."

"He doesn't trust us," Robin groused.

"Would you?"

Robin scowled. "I'm going to go unpack." He whipped around and marched across the hall.

Starfire floated over to Raven, having seen Robin leave. "Is Robin the okay?"

Raven shook her head. "He's letting his tension with Batman get to him. He's being stubborn."

Starfire frowned. "I hope he will not be grumpy the entire time we are here."

Raven snorted. "Feel free to hope."

TtTtTtT

Alfred led them down to the formal dining room at exactly the time he said he would. "I'm afraid there won't be enough room in the smaller dining hall, even if there are six seats."

"Whoa," Beast Boy said again as they entered the opulent dining hall. "Is _anything_ in this place small?"

"Not much," Robin replied.

Robin sat at the right of the head of the table out of habit, and, also out of habit, Starfire sat next to him. He quirked the smallest of smiles at her before taking a long swig from the glass of water that was already at his place.

"Don't you kids have any street clothes?" Bruce's voice sounded from the far end of the table. They all looked up to see he had changed into dress pants and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, quite a contrast to their ever-present uniforms. Robin had even replaced his mask.

"Not really," Robin said as Bruce joined them at the head of the table. "I'm the only one that really has a secret identity. Cyborg's half robot, Beast Boy's green, Starfire's an alien and Raven's…Raven. I figured since they have to be heroes 24/7 that I should be, too. Dick Grayson's never been to Jump City."

"Hmmmm," Bruce pondered. "Doesn't your uniform get uncomfortable after awhile?"

"Nope. You forget, mine isn't like that heavy thing you wear with all the leather and Kevlar."

Bruce frowned. "I kept meaning to update that."

Robin took another sip of water. "Don't need it. It would weigh me down. Move faster, get hit less."

Bruce looked skeptically at him, but before he could say anything, Alfred came bustling through the door with a small cart carrying several serving dishes. "Dinner is served," he announced. "I do hope you all like spaghetti marinara."

"Alright!" Robin enthused. "Guys, Alfred makes the best spaghetti and meatballs on the east coast. Maybe in the country."

"You are too kind, Master Robin," Alfred said, heaping a pile of pasta onto Robin's plate.

"Meatballs?!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Hello?!? Vegetarian here!"

"Cool it," Cyborg hissed at him. "Eat around them."

"It's quite alright, Master Cyborg," Alfred soothed as he laded sauce over Robin's pasta. "Master Robin told me of Master Beast Boy's culinary requirements. The pasta and the sauce are vegan; if you skip the meatballs, you will stay within your regime."

"Sweet!" Beast Boy grinned. "Al, you really are the greatest!"

"Well, I try," Alfred smiled modestly.

As Alfred served the rest of them, Bruce asked: "If you don't have any street clothes, what did you bring to wear to the party?"

"I thought we'd wear our uniforms," Robin told him.

Bruce shook his head. "We need to have Fredo think we trust him. You need some formalwear." He paused. "You go shopping in your uniforms in Jump City?"

"All the time."

"Then it would probably raise fewer flags to just send you shopping tomorrow. Maybe I can get Barbara to go with the girls."

Robin choked on the meatball he'd just bitten into. "Barbara!?" he rasped. "You're going to have Barbara take the girls shopping!?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Is that a problem?"

Robin took a deep breath, calming himself. "No. That should be fine."

"Who is Barbara?" Starfire asked, the tinge of concern in her voice only evident to those who knew her well.

"Barbara Gordon," Robin mumbled. "She's the Police Commissioner's daughter. And she's Batgirl."

Beast Boy started to snicker.

"What?" Cyborg murmured to him.

Robin skewered Beast Boy with a glare before he could say anything. "Later," Beast Boy told Cyborg as his mirth died.

"Cyborg," Bruce broke into the exchange as Alfred rattled his cart out the door. "How precise can you be with your sonic cannon?"

"I can hit a moving target 200 yards away," Cyborg bragged.

"That's how accurate you are," Bruce corrected. "I asked how precise you are. There's going to be a lot of civilians at the party. Are you going to be able to hit _just_ your target?"

Cyborg frowned, obviously not happy with having to justify himself. "I can narrow the width of the beam, and as long as I've got a clear shot, it won't be a problem."

Cyborg and Bruce stared each other down for a moment before Bruce gave a short nod and shifted his gaze.

"Starfire," Bruce turned to her and Robin felt himself stiffen. "I have much the same question for you. How precise can you be with those energy charges you throw?"

"Starbolts," Robin amended. Bruce glanced at him but quickly returned his attention to Starfire.

"Very," Starfire answered. She lit up the tip of one finger and flicked the tiny starbolt at Cyborg, knocking a meatball from his fork.

"Hey now!" Cyborg chided, a grin on his lips. "I know you're a good shot, Star, but don't be messin' with a man's food!"

"My apologies, Friend Cyborg."

Seemingly satisfied, Bruce turned again. "Beast Boy, I've seen you do some pretty big animals, but, like I said, we're not going to have a clear field. How small can you be?"

"Microscopic!" Beast Boy exclaimed before disappearing.

The remaining diners all looked at each other. "Please tell me he's not turned into some kind of germ," Bruce said.

"Protozoa," Beast Boy explained as he reappeared in his human form. "I've never tried being a germ." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Please don't," Raven implored.

"What can you do as smaller animals?" Bruce pressed.

"I can sneak up on people," Beast Boy boasted. "And…um…"

"Beast Boy's great with confusion techniques," Robin offered. "We have quite a few tactics that involve him distracting the target."

"Yeah!" Beast Boy confirmed wholeheartedly.

Bruce seemed to process that a moment. "Distractions could be an asset," he finally said.

Beast Boy beamed.

Ignoring Beast Boy's triumph, Bruce turned to Raven. "I've noticed you say some kind of mantra before you unleash a particularly powerful attack. It delays you. Is it necessary for you to do that?"

"It focuses me," Raven said simply. "It's not necessary, but it's easier to achieve my goal when I do."

"And what about you?" Robin questioned Bruce before he could interrogate anyone else. "Still having trouble with that double somersault?"

"Only from a standing start," Bruce replied evenly. "If I have any speed or height it's not a problem."

A cocky grin crept over Robin's face. He could do a double somersault after taking only two long steps.

"Oh! Is it true that the Batmobile has cloaking technology?" Beast Boy enthused, seeing that the questioning had turned to Bruce. "Or that you can squeeze into a hole the size of a cinderblock? Or that the Batplane can…" He trailed off as his napkin, suddenly black, rose and pressed itself against his lips.

"You had some tomato sauce on your face," Raven explained.

Beast Boy yanked the cloth away and glared at Raven.

"Knock it off, you two," Robin ordered.

"This kind of tomfoolery isn't going to be a problem at the party, is it?" Bruce suggested more than asked.

Robin gave a firm look to all of his teammates. "No. It won't."

"It better not be. This might be our big chance to take Fredo down. I don't want it ruined because of some sophomoric horseplay."

The Titans all looked at each other. Even Raven looked a little sheepish.

The table fell into silence, the only sound being heard for a few minutes being the scrape of the flatware against the china plates.

"Robin," Starfire finally broke the quiet. "Why don't you tell the Batman how we defeated Mad Mod?"

Robin looked at Starfire, his brows pinched. She raised her eyebrows and gave the smallest of nods. Buoyed by her encouragement, he cleared his throat and began. "Okay. Well, somehow he was able to get past our security systems and pump knockout gas into the Tower…"

"Oh, not this story!" Beast Boy dropped his face into his hands. "Can't we tell about the second time we beat him?"

"You mean the time you weren't a drooling idiot?" Raven asked.

"Yeah! That one!"

"We can tell that one next, Friend Beast Boy," Starfire assured him. "Please continue, Robin."

Robin gave her the faintest smile and reached under the table to hook his pinky through hers for a brief moment. "So, when we woke up…"

* * *

That came out much better than I thought it would, especially since I rewrote a large part of the first half. This was a hard chapter. It's all exposition; nothing really _happens._ I did have some fun with fanboy Beast Boy, though. He'll come back, I'm sure.

Unlike Batman, I'm sure, the muse likes the blathering of fanboys/girls.

(Hey, Eve Royal: I had Alfred say "Indeed" just for you!)


	10. Settling In

_Teen Titans_ belong to DC Comics. Wii belongs to Nintendo. I'm not either.

_Chapter 10: Settling In_

The rest of supper went relatively well, with the Titans telling Bruce of their exploits. He listened intently and asked a few questions here and there, but never really put them on the spot.

They adjourned to the Batcave afterwards for the Mission Briefing. Unfortunately, Bruce had nothing new to report; if Fredo had anything up his sleeve, nobody was talking.

Bruce quizzed the Titans a bit more about their abilities and they came up with several plans for various scenarios. He bid them good night shortly before 9:00 pm, and they went back to the Guest Wing.

Most of them headed for the lounge, but Raven went to her room to meditate. It had been a very long day and she'd missed her morning meditation in the bustle of leaving, and her nerves were beginning to fray. It was too early to go to bed, so she spent about twenty minutes re-centering herself and then went to join her friends in the lounge.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were right where she expected them to be: parked in front of the TV kicking each other's butts at some video game. Starfire floated behind the sofa, cheering on both of them. Robin sat at the desk, reading the _Jump City Times_ online on his laptop, his mask tossed carelessly on the desktop beside him.

The curiosity that had been ignited at supper getting the better of her, Raven floated over to Robin, speaking into his head. _"So what's wrong with Batgirl?"_

Robin jumped. "Jesus, Raven! Tell me when you're gonna do that!" He frowned over his shoulder at her as she drew up behind him.

"_Sorry, I just thought that there are certain people…" _She flashed images of Bruce and Starfire into his mind, "…_that you wouldn't want hearing this conversation."_ She mentally raised an eyebrow. _"You must really be spooked. It's not like you to be blasphemous."_

He crossed his arms and scowled at her. "_Only when people invade my head and scare the hell out of me,_" he thought back.

Raven mentally shrugged. "_So what's wrong with Batgirl?" _she repeated.

"_Nothing. Babs is great. I'm sure you and Star will get along just fine with her."_

"_Then why are you so nervous?"_

Robin didn't respond immediately. He just sat, his jaw visibly clenching as he sank down in his seat a bit. His mind was a swirl of hot torment, and Raven could taste the bile in his throat. She toyed with the idea of delving further and forcing the answer from him, but decided that he needed to deal with it, and actually telling her would be a big step in that.

"_She was…" _he finally came up with. _"…sort of my first girlfriend." _

"_Ohhh…."_

"_But it was nothing like what I have with Starfire, nothing," _Robin quickly went on, grabbing the edge of the desk to keep himself from becoming too animated. _"We kissed a few times…went out on like one official date…"_ He shook his head. _"We agreed long before I even decided to leave that it wasn't going to work, and I haven't even really talked to her in like two years. Honestly, she's more like my big sister."_

Raven perched on the edge of the desk, peering at him. He lifted his eyes to meet her gaze, though his face remained downturned. "_Big?"_ she queried.

"_She's…several years older than me."_

Raven let a small smile touch her lips. The idea of Robin being a plaything for an older woman amused Raven to no end.

"_It wasn't like that!"_ Robin's eyes narrowed in anger.

Raven placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "_I believe you. But if it was over before you even met Starfire, then what are you worried about?"_

"_Because she'll still go through the roof if she finds out. Maybe literally."_

"_I take it you have not discussed your romantic pasts?"_

Robin leaned back, looking up for the first time. _"First off, Babs _is_ my romantic past, period. Secondly, did you not hear what I just said?"_ He slid a bit further down in his chair, lowering his head again. _"She'd probably challenge her to a duel or something." _

Raven smirked, but before she had a chance to respond, Cyborg piped up from across the room: "Are you two havin' a staring contest or something? It's too quiet over there!"

"Yeah, Dudes!" Beast Boy chimed in. "Ya gotta come join the party! He's got a Wii!" The changeling turned to Cyborg. "How come we don't have a Wii?"

"Cuz every time I order one I get told there's a six month wait," Cyborg grumbled back.

"That sucks," Beast Boy commented. "Well, let's use it while we've got it. This game takes up to six players. C'mon you two!"

"What is it?" Raven asked, picturing blasting aliens and not looking forward to it.

"Bar games," Cyborg answered. "You know; pool, darts, bowling…"

"Bowling?" Raven questioned.

"Yeah. Most bowling alleys have bars in them," Cyborg explained.

Raven shrugged. "If you say so. I've never been to a bowling alley."

"That'll make it that much easier to beat you!" Beast Boy grinned.

"Have _you_ ever been to a bowling alley?" Raven challenged.

"Well, no, but…"

Cyborg chortled. "That'll make you that much easier to beat too, Grass Stain."

"I guess that means we're bowling," Robin noted as he came up beside Starfire where she floated behind the couch.

"Please, how does one play this 'bowling'?" she asked him.

"It's not hard," Robin replied, slipping into teacher mode. "You'll see when it comes up."

Cyborg toggled the menu to the bowling game and quickly entered everyone's name. He took the first turn, managing a spare.

Raven went next, scoring six for the frame. "You might do better if you took your cloak off," Robin suggested.

"Yeah, Raven, take it off!" Beast Boy hooted.

A black swatch appeared over Beast Boy's eyes. "Don't make me make that permanent," Raven threatened.

"Knock it off, you two," Robin sounded annoyed. "Raven, let him go; it's his turn."

The swatch disappeared and Beast Boy shook his head. "Aw, who needs eyes?" he asked, grinning ruefully. "I could always just turn into a dolphin. Or a bat."

"That's not going to help you with a video game," Cyborg pointed out.

"Well…no…I guess not…but…"

"Will you just go already?" Raven groused.

"Heh, sure." Beast Boy grabbed the controller and rolled the ball with much flair…only to have it end up in the gutter.

Cyborg erupted in laughter.

Beast Boy scowled at him, but flexed his shoulders and wrists, saying, "I'm just warming up!"

"Yeah, whatever, Gutter Boy," Cyborg jeered.

Beast Boy rolled the ball again, this time hitting one corner pin. Cyborg laughed again.

"Hey, at least I'm on the board," Beast Boy pointed out. Cyborg continued to laugh. "Urgh…here, Star, it's your turn," Beast Boy growled, pushing the controller into her hands.

Starfire looked between the controller and Robin. "The object of the game is to use the ball to knock over the dolls with the red collars?"

Robin smiled in spite of himself. "They're called pins Star, but yeah, that's basically it."

"Very well," Starfire chirped and flew over the sofa to stand in front of the large screen. She thrust the controller forward with much gusto. The virtual ball shot down the alley and skittered into the gutter.

"Oh…" she moaned in disappointment.

"It's okay," Robin encouraged. "Just try again. Maybe not quite so much power behind it this time."

Starfire nodded and thrust the controller forward again. The ball made it further down the lane, but still wound up in the gutter.

"It's okay, Star," Robin repeated as she looked back at him again. "Have a seat and watch me this time." He shoved Beast Boy over and hopped the back of the sofa. Starfire took a seat in the space Robin had created. He played his frame, scoring a spare. "Did you see what I did?" he asked, sitting next to her in the spot Cyborg vacated to take his turn.

Starfire nodded. "I believe so."

They cycled through their turns, Raven removing her cloak as Robin had suggested and rolling a 9 for her frame. Taking her seat next to Robin, her hand twitched as she felt him stop himself from reaching out for Starfire's hand.

Starfire's turn came again, and, while her form was better, she still rolled a gutter ball. "Oh…" she fretted.

"Okay, Star, let's do this like a training exercise," Robin said, stepping up beside her. He took the controller from her, eliciting jeers from Cyborg and Beast Boy. "C'mon guys, she's not even on the board!" Robin defended. Cyborg and Beast Boy both grumbled but Robin ignored them and turned back to Starfire.

"You have to act like you're rolling the ball, not throwing it," Robin explained. "Hold the controller in your right hand and take a step with your left foot." He demonstrated. "Hold the button down until you're about 30 degrees out from your body. And…" The virtual ball rolled neatly down the lane, knocking over all but two pins. "Now you try," he held out the controller.

Apprehension in her eyes, Starfire took the controller and turned back to the screen.

"Line yourself up," Robin prompted as she took her stance. She glanced at him and then readjusted the controls so that the remaining pins were in the center of the screen. She sketched out a passing imitation of what Robin had done and managed to glance the outside pin, but it remained standing.

"Better," Robin said as his name came up on the screen, but Starfire's eyes still held disappointment. Robin pursed his lips and came to her side. "Let's try this together." Stepping behind her, he wrapped one hand around the one of hers that held the controller and put the other hand on her hip.

"Uh, Rob…" Cyborg interrupted the lesson, sounding nervous.

Robin shot a look over his shoulder that all the Titans knew. It meant: "Shut up, I'm in charge." Raven had to admit it was even more intimidating without his mask.

Robin turned back to Starfire and pressed his shoulders to her back, rotating her hips with his hand as he drew her arm back, murmuring into her ear about what he was doing.

Raven knew what he was doing; he was moving Starfire's body for her so she could feel what the correct form was. There was nothing romantic or sexual about it; it was a training technique. Raven had seen him do it with all of them from time to time, although it usually wasn't this…intimate.

"_Robin,"_ Raven spoke into his head. _"This looks bad."_

Robin didn't seem to acknowledge her message but did slide away from Starfire pretty quickly when they finished the move. He stood a good three feet away from her as they watched the ball roll down the alley and knock over seven pins, leaving a neat little triangle in one corner.

Starfire let the controller dangle from her wrist as she clapped her hands. She turned to Robin and held out the device.

"No, you do it by yourself this time," he told her.

"But it is your turn."

"Don't worry about it; I'm in second place. And if you do well, I'll get your points." He grinned cheekily.

Starfire grinned back. "Very well." She turned back to the screen and lined up the pins. She rolled the ball much more carefully this time and scored a spare. All of the Titans shouted in congratulations and Starfire threw her arms out, obviously expecting a hug from Robin. He sidestepped her and nudged her shoulder with his fist. "Good job!" he told her before quickly sitting back down.

Starfire looked a bit hurt and confused but said nothing as she handed the controller to Cyborg and sat down next to Robin. He didn't look at her; he simply paid attention to the game.

The rest of the game went that way: Robin more or less avoiding Starfire and Starfire looking disappointed. Raven could feel that Starfire understood but was far from happy with the situation. Robin didn't seem too happy with it, either.

The game ended with Cyborg beating Robin by two points and everybody else much further back. "Another round?" Cyborg asked after declaring his victory.

"I'm going to bed," Robin answered rather grumpily. "You guys can stay up if you want, but, it's been a long day, so I'd suggest turning in before too long."

"Yes, Boss," Cyborg jeered as he deleted Robin's name from the lineup.

"G'night, Everybody," Robin called as he opened the door to the hallway.

"G'night!" Cyborg and Beast Boy chorused, their eyes glued to the screen.

Robin closed the door behind him, but it was only shut a few seconds before Starfire took off towards the entrance as well.

"Starfire?" Raven called after her.

"I am going to speak with Robin."

"But Starfire…"

"It is alright, Raven. Do not worry."

But as Starfire slipped outside the door, Raven couldn't help BUT worry knowing how sensitive her alien friend could be.

TtTtTtT

"Robin!" Starfire called as she stepped outside the door to the lounge, finding him just opening the door to his room.

He stopped, but didn't turn. "What is it, Star?"

"I merely wished to…that is, I hope that…" He turned to look at her as she stumbled, seeing her press her lips together and puff out a breath. She paused, and the two of them locked gazes, the determination in her eyes making Robin that much more nervous.

"_I understand why you feel we cannot be together during this journey," _she finally said in Tameranian. _"But that does not mean that we cannot still be friends…does it?"_

"I…" Robin paused, unsure how to respond, his hand sliding off the doorknob and falling to his side. _"No, of course not," _he finally answered softly in Cantonese. He took a few steps toward her and she met him in the center of the hallway. He lowered his voice to a whisper. _"It's just…I'm not sure where our friendship ends and our…other relationship begins." _

"_There is no border," _Starfire replied, still in Tameranian. _"That is perhaps the difficulty. But I do not wish to feel as though we are fighting merely because we cannot touch affectionately or flirt or…"_

"_We're not fighting,"_ he interrupted. _"I'm not angry with you." _ He sighed. _"I just…you know why this has to be this way. This is hard for me too."_

Starfire dropped her eyes. _"Perhaps I am being __**dr'godj**__."_

Robin marginally shook his head. _**"Dr'godj?"**_

She looked back up. _"Selfish,"_ she said in Cantonese.

"_No!"_ Robin replied emphatically then grit his teeth, pushing his voice back down to a whisper. _"If anything, I'm the one that's being selfish. Star…"_ He balled his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching out for her. _"I am so lucky to have someone like you…someone willing to go along with this. I'm just not quite sure how to do it."_ He scrunched his brow. _"That bit in there with the game…that was a mistake. We need to be more careful. But please remember that nothing that happens here is because I'm mad at you. It's all because of me and…and…"_ He trailed off, searching for a word that wasn't "Bruce" or "Batman."

"_Your __**k'norfka?"**_ Starfire supplied.

"_Yeah. But you're right; I'm still your friend, always have been, always will be. Just…be patient with me, okay?"_ He met her gaze again, imploring her with his eyes.

She held it for what felt like forever but finally blinked slowly. _"Very well."_ She took a step back, switching back over to English. "I am glad to see that you are indeed alright, Robin," she said more loudly than she needed to. Robin felt a prickle of embarrassment run up his neck as he realized she was putting on a show for the security system. He made a face at her indicating that she didn't need to do that. She ducked her head sheepishly and backed up another couple of steps. "Good night, Robin."

"Good night, Star," he returned, also backing towards his room. He put his hand on the doorknob and stopped. "Star?" he called over his shoulder.

"Yes, Robin?"

"_Yr sefte."_

Starfire's worried face broke into a smile and Robin puffed out a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Sorry there was a bit of a lag on this chapter (what am I talking about…some of the lags between chapters in _Falling_ were six months! Be happy it didn't take that long!); it's a bit shorter than the others too. The muse got obsessed with some stuff that's not going to happen until near the end of the story, and, as much as I told her we needed to be working on this, she insisted on working on that instead! But I satisfied her on that and I was able to drag her back here. Batgirl was _supposed_ to be in this chapter, but I wanted to get something up. She'll be in the next one, I promise.

Regardless, we did have some fun with this scene. The scene with Raven and Robin was one of the first things I thought of for this story. Making Robin squirm is always a blast. That boy's _gotta_ stop keeping secrets! And the game was fun too…my favorite part of the Titans is when they're just hangin' out being normal teenagers. And I usually don't use actual brand names in my stories; I either rename them or just use a generic name (remember the chocolate sandwich cookies from the end of _Falling_? No prize if you guess what those were…), but, well, a Wii's a Wii. Thus the disclaimer at the top.

Thanksgiving is this week here in the States, and I just wanted to say that I am very thankful for all of my loyal readers/reviewers. I'd probably do this even if nobody was reading it, but it really is great to know that somebody is and likes it.

I hope to get at least one more chapter up before the end of the year, but, well, the holidays are a busy time. In case the muse and I don't catch you before then, Happy Holidays, no matter which ones you celebrate!


	11. Outing

_Teen Titans and Batman belong to DC Comics. I'm not them._

_Chapter 11: Outing_

by Lelila

Shortly after breakfast on Friday, the Titans gathered in the Batcave.

"Why are we meeting Batgirl down here?" Beast Boy asked as Raven slapped his had away from a console.

"We have to go in and out through here or people will be able to figure out where we're staying," Robin answered, sounding a bit impatient. "And her name's Barbara. She's not Batgirl today. Remember that."

"Who cares if people know where we're staying?" Beast Boy asked. "I wouldn't mind being chased like rock stars."

"You're just full of questions today, aren't you?" Cyborg sneered at him. "We can't let anybody know we're here because then they might figure out that Robin's Dick Grayson, and, by association, that Batman is Bruce Wayne."

Beast Boy paused, his brow scrunched as he processed that. "Oooookaaaay…"

Cyborg shook his head. "Just keep your mouth shut," he told Beast Boy, glancing up to see a thankful nod from Robin.

The banter died as an SUV pulled up next to the Batmobile. An athletic-looking redhead dressed in jeans and a turtleneck climbed out. She looked around and quickly spotted the Titans, breaking into an electric smile as she hurried down the platform towards them. "Boy Wonder!" she squealed as she neared, throwing her arms around Robin's neck.

Robin smiled softly as he patted her back. "Hey, Babs. How have you been?"

"Not the same without you!" She stood back and held him at arms' length. "Look at you! We're going have to start calling you 'Manly Wonder!'"

Cyborg didn't wait; he crooked his elbow around Beast Boy's neck and sealed his hand over the younger Titan's lips. "Don't say it," he murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

Meanwhile, Robin laughed nervously at Barbara's joke. "Heh. Yeah…thanks for doing this, Babs."

"Hey, anything to get to use Daddy's credit card," she replied, her eyes twinkling. "He's bringing me as his escort since he hasn't had a date in like twenty years. So who are the lucky girls that get to come with me?"

Robin backed out of Barbara's embrace and turned. "Barbara Gorden, meet the Titans." He indicated his friends, much as he had with Alfred.

"Cyborg."

Cyborg dropped Beast Boy and held out his hand. "Well hello, Little Lady." Barbara grinned at him as she shook his hand.

"Beast Boy."

Beast Boy grabbed her hand and kissed it. "It is a great pleasure to meet you."

Everyone else in the Batcave looked at Beast Boy like he was insane.

"Um…hi?" Beast Boy tried again.

Barbara smiled at him. "He's cute," she said to Robin.

Beast Boy's eyes lit up. "You think I'm cute? Batgirl thinks I'm cute!"

"And your charges for the day," Robin interrupted Beast Boy's fanboy attack, "Raven and Starfire."

"Hello," Raven said simply.

"Warmest greetings friend and former teammate of Robin!" Starfire chirped, launching herself at Barbara. She wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. "I am always glad to meet friends of Robin's!"

"Um…yeah," Barbara somehow managed to extricate herself from Starfire's grip. "Good to meet you, too."

"Why don't you guys get in the car?" Robin suggested, looking embarrassed. "I want to talk to Babs for a minute."

"Shotgun!" Beast Boy called, turning into a jackrabbit and bounding towards the car.

"Oh, no way!" Cyborg protested. "I am not squeezin' myself into the back seat!"

Robin shook his head as Barbara laughed. "They certainly are a lively bunch," she remarked as she rubbed her arm. "I think that hug is going to leave a mark."

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Robin began. "Starfire is pretty open with her feelings, as you saw. Don't take it personally if she sulks or something, just say something nice and I'm sure she'll bounce right back. Oh, and she might ask questions that may seem obvious, but she's not being a smart aleck; she really does need to know the answer; she is an alien after all. Just answer the best you can, and if you don't know, say so. She'll respect that." He paused, watching Barbara as she tried to follow him. "Raven's almost the exact opposite," he went on. "She's pretty quiet and can seem kind of moody, but that's part of her powers; she needs to keep a tight reign on her emotions. Just…don't take it personally," he repeated. "She really is a good friend, they both are, odd though they may seem."

Barbara nodded. "Got it. They're both totally emo in their own ways; it's not about me."

Robin rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't put it _that_ way…"

"By the way, what's with the cape?" she interrupted, tugging on Robin's uniform. "Do you want me to…?"

"No, it's okay. The press knows we're in town and it makes sense that the Commissioner's daughter would show us around. And The Titans know about you and me and Bruce, so don't worry too much if you slip."

"Give me some credit, Short Pants!"

"I do. Which is why I'm going to ask you for one more favor: don't say anything about…the…'thing' we had."

Barbara squinted. "'Thing?' What 'thing?'" Robin looked at her hard for a moment, and then Barbara started to laugh. "We never had a thing! A 'thingette' maybe…"

"Whatever you want to call it!" Robin struggled to keep his voice even. "Just don't mention it, okay?"

"Okay," Barbara giggled, but then gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "You're seeing one of them, aren't you? I'll bet it's the dark one, Raven. You're way too intense to go for the perky girls."

Robin frowned. "There's nothing wrong with being perky…"

"Does Bruce know?"

Robin's frown deepened.

"Uh huh. Didn't think so." She rubbed her hands together. "Oh...this is too good! You're not even back a day and I've already got something on you!"

"Just...pretend I've never had a love life, okay? I'm totally asexual!" Robin barked impatiently.

Barbara smiled wickedly and patted his chest. "Don't worry, Boy Wonder. Your secrets are safe with me."

"Good," Robin nodded as he exhaled a calming breath. "Thanks."

They headed down to Barbara's SUV, finding that Beast Boy had somehow won the battle for the front seat. Cyborg sat on the middle bench, sulking, while the girls were in the back.

"Everybody strapped in?" Barbara asked as she fastened her own seatbelt. A chorus of affirmatives went up and Barbara pulled the car out of the Batcave, emerging through a large storm drain.

"Cool!" Beast Boy declared. "So _that's_ the entrance to the Batcave!"

"That's not the only one," Robin said from beside Cyborg. "There are holes all over the city."

"Batman really is as cool as I thought he was!" Beast Boy enthused.

Robin caught Barbara's eye in the rearview mirror. "I wouldn't be so quick to say that," Barbara put in. "You've only known him a day."

Beast Boy looked thoughtful for a minute, but didn't respond.

They rode in silence for a few minutes until Starfire commented from the back: "I am quite looking forward to doing the shopping in an establishment that I have not visited before!"

"Oh joy," Raven added, sounding bored.

Beast Boy twisted around in his seat. "I bet they don't have anything big enough for you, Cy."

Cyborg sneered. "Well, I bet they don't have anything cute enough for you, Elf Boy."

"Yeah, well, even if they do have something big enough, I bet it won't match your circuits," Beast Boy shot back.

"And I doubt they'll have something that will accommodate your tail!"

" Hey! I don't _have_ to have a tail. I don't have one now!"

"Knock it off, you two." Robin sounded exasperated.

The pair shut up, but made faces at each other before Beast Boy turned back to the front.

"Is it always like this?" Barbara asked.

"Pretty much," Robin answered. "Be glad you're taking the girls."

"Actually, I'm looking forward to a day with the girls," Barbara said as she pulled into a parking spot on the main street of Gothem's shopping district. "I sometimes think I spend too much time with males."

They piled out onto the sidewalk and Barbara put a handful of change into the meter. "The menswear shop is down on the corner," she pointed out. "And Ladies, our destination is across the street." She indicated a high-end dress shop. "We'll give you guys a call when we're done and then we'll all go to lunch, okay Robin?"

Robin frowned, but one corner of his lips quickly turned up. "Sure, sounds great."

"Why don't we call you when we get done?" Beast Boy asked.

"Trust me, they're gonna take longer," Cyborg answered as he headed off down the street.

"Oh...right...hee hee..." Beast Boy snickered as he followed.

Robin shook his head. "We'll catch you later, Babs." He made eye contact with both Raven and Starfire before heading off after Beast Boy and Cyborg.

Barbara led Starfire and Raven across the street and into the shop. Starfire gasped at the sight of the many colorful dresses. "Oh! I do not believe I have ever seen such lovely garments!"

"Yeah. It really does make you feel like a princess," Barbara remarked.

Raven raised an eyebrow. Starfire was too busy shuffling through the racks to acknowledge her lineage.

The girls split up and looked through the store. Raven quickly picked out a simple navy blue gown with an empire waist and a halter neckline. It had long sleeves that hooked over her middle fingers but exposed her shoulders and a good bit of her back. Starfire declared it "lovely," while Barbara said it was "chic, if a bit plain."

"We'll have to dress it up with some jewelery," Barbara went on.

"Why bother?" Raven groused.

"Well...you want to look nice for...certain people..." Barbara hinted in a low voice.

Raven made a face. "I'm only wearing this because Batman said I had to. I'm sure I'd be much more comfortable in my uniform."

"Of course you would, but..."

"Oh, Raven, Barbara is correct," Starfire broke in. "It is an elegant garment, but I believe some ornamentation would only enhance it."

Raven frowned at her friend. "Maybe a pendant."

"Wonderful!" Starfire hugged the pile of gowns she had picked out to try on. "We shall have to do the shopping for jewels after we have chosen our apparel!" She flounced off towards the fitting rooms. Raven and Barbara looked at each other.

"I don't know that we budgeted for jewelery," Raven murmured to Barbara.

"We'll go to _Stacy's_, the big department store down the block. They have some nice fake stuff," Barbara reassured her.

"Friends!" Starfire squealed from the back of the store. "You must give me your opinion!"

They found the alien standing in front of the large three-way mirror looking like something out of a fairy tale in a whispy dress in various shades of pink.

"It is wonderful, yes?" Starfire asked.

"Wonderful," Raven droned. "All you need is one of those pointy hats."

Starfire blinked, her face falling.

"It is a bit...sugary," Barbara said. "And honestly, it really clashes with your hair."

"It does?" Starfire spun back around to face the mirror, pulling her bright red locks over her shoulder to examine them against the dress. "Oh...I fear you are correct."

"There's lots of other dresses, Starfire. I'm sure you'll find something," Barbara encouraged. "I'm going to try this one on." She held up the green dress she had been carrying and headed into one of the stalls.

Starfire returned to her stall while Raven folded her legs beneath her and began to float near the three-way mirror, settling herself in for a long wait.

Barbara appeared a few minutes later in a strapless emerald green dress with tulle feathered over the skirt. "What do you think?" she asked Raven as Starfire reappeared in a skin-tight mini purple number. "It's not too Poison Ivy?" Barbara lowered her voice.

"It does suit your coloring quite well," Starfire remarked.

"Yeah, but..." Barbara frowned and then sighed. "No. It's too costume-like. And it really does make me look like Poison Ivy," she grumbled. "Ah, well. I guess I'll have to try something...else." She trailed off as she turned around and got a look at Starfire.

"Do you like it?" Starfire asked, striking a pose.

"Um..." Barbara faltered, not wanting to hurt the alien's feelings.

"No," Raven said plainly. "It makes you look like a prostitute."

Starfire blinked. "But does that not make me desirable?"

"Not in the right way," Raven answered. "Trust me. You don't want Robin to see you in that."

"Oh," Starfire looked a little disappointed. "Well, I shall try something else, then." She went back into her stall.

Barbara glanced at Raven, a smirk pulling at her lips. "You don't want Robin to see her in that, hmmm?"

Raven scrunched her brow. "What?"

"Never mind," Babara shook her head, still smirking. "I'm going to go try on another dress."

Raven endured an hour of dress after dress, with Starfire trying on twice as many as Barbara. Barbara finally chose a cerulean blue knee-length bubble dress that, at least according to Starfire, "matches your eyes perfectly!"

Raven and Barbara stood around for another quarter hour as Starfire tried on a few more. Finally, she called before she even stepped out of her stall: "Friends, I believe I have made my decision!" She emerged and stood in front of the three-way mirror, examining herself from all angles. "What are your thoughts?"

Raven paused. "You look like a Christmas ornament."

"It is a bit much," Barbara put in.

"But is it not lovely?" Starfire asked, still posing.

"It's gorgeous," Barbara conceded. "But..." she paused. "Well...if anybody could pull that off, it would be you."

"What are you talking about?" Raven's voice held disbelief.

"Well, she's tall, she's leggy, she's got a great figure; that dress was made for somebody like her," Barbara answered. "I think I'm jealous."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Starfire clapped her hands. "Glorious! The decision is made!"

"We're definitely going to have to go shoe shopping, though," Barbara added. "There is no way those boots go with that dress." She indicated the eggplant purple thigh-high boots that Starfire normally wore.

They made their purchases and hung the plastic-covered dresses in the back of Barbara's SUV before driving a bit up the street to the department store that she had mentioned. As soon as they entered, they came upon a sale of the spring fashions. "Oh!" Starfire exclaimed. "The Batman said we were perhaps in need of some of the 'street clothes,' and these items have had their prices reduced. Perhaps we could purchase a few things!"

"That's up to you," Barbara shrugged.

"Star, that's not really necessary. Besides, the boys are waiting for us..." Raven trailed off as Starfire ignored her and began digging through the racks.

Forty-five minutes later, after all three girls had made several purchases, Starfire more than Barbara and Raven combined, they headed towards the back of the store to the shoe department. They came upon the make-up counter in the center of the store on the way.

"Oh, cosmetics! I did not think to bring any, but this is undoubtedly an occasion when they are required!" Starfire enthused.

"Actually, I could probably use some new colors," Barbara remarked. She turned to Raven. "You'll want some long-lasting lipstick, no doubt."

"What?"

Barbara just laughed.

The three girls each had a makeover. Barbara's was pretty straightforward; she discussed her dress with the make-up girl and picked out some new eye shadow and rouge. Raven had little interest, and the girl that was helping her kept remarking on how pale her skin was. "We don't want to make you look like a clown."

Starfire, however, was arguing with her attendant. She kept insisting that she needed "paint for my forehead and nose." Barbara finally stepped in and suggested that would not be appropriate for the event. Starfire looked a little crestfallen, but acquiesced and allowed the make-up girl and Barbara to pick out some colors for her.

The jewelry department was very near cosmetics, and they picked out a few things to go with their outfits. Starfire was the first to make her decisions this time, and both Barbara and Raven thought she'd made good choices. Barbara found a choker and matching earrings with blue stones that were quite close to her dress. Raven, however, was having a hard time.

"There are many pretty things to choose from, Friend Raven," Starfire said.

"They're all too gaudy," Raven complained.

"Wait, I've got it," Barbara called from down the row. The Titan girls went to her side to find her looking at a large teardrop pearl suspended from a simple gold chain. "It's kind of expensive because it's real, but I think it's perfect."

"I must agree with Barbara, it will be a lovely addition to your gown," Starfire said.

Raven looked at the price and frowned. "It's really too much."

Starfire leaned in and whispered, but Barbara could still hear. "Do not worry; I am certain that Robin will allow this purchase, even if the Batman does not."

Raven raised her eyebrows in uncertainty, but Starfire just nodded. Barbara smirked to herself.

They added their jewels to their baskets and headed for the shoe department. Raven quickly picked out some low heels that were a passable match to her dress. Barbara was having a hard time deciding between some slides and some strappy heels when she spotted Starfire pondering the many choices.

"I am not certain what to wear with my gown," she replied when Barbara asked how she was doing.

"Well...you're going to need something pretty special to go with your dress." Barbara looked around a bit before spotting some stilettos. "Oh my God, those are perfect!" She helped Starfire find the correct size. Starfire wobbled a bit as she stood, quickly floating up a few inches to keep herself from falling. "I have never worn footwear quite like this," she said sheepishly.

"Yeah, but you can fly. I wish I could fly; I'd wear my heels a lot more often!"

The girls paid for their things after Barbara finally decided on the slides. It was much later than expected when they finally met the boys, each carrying a shoebox and a plastic bag not unlike the ones the girls' dresses were in. Clouds were starting to roll in and the sun was setting. "I'm sure Alfred will have more than enough so you can join us, Babs," Robin said when he suggested that they simply head back to the Manor for dinner.

Barbara agreed and they piled into the SUV. Cyborg got the front seat this time, and Beast Boy scrambled into the back to sit next to Raven before Starfire got there. "Just wait till you see me in my tux," Beast Boy waggled his eyebrows. "You'll fall over with desire, Rae!"

"If you say so."

"How was your shopping trip, Star?" Robin asked as he buckled his seatbelt in the spot next to hers.

"Oh, it was most delightful!" she answered. "I cannot wait for you to see my outfit!"

"Oh?" Robin shot a look at Raven.

She shook her head. "It's decent. That's all I'm going to say."

He looked up at Barbara in the rearview mirror. She grinned and shrugged. "But you should see Raven's dress!"

"I need to see Raven's dress?" Robin whipped his head around to look at the witch again.

"What? It's very modest."

"Yeah, but you look great in it," Barbara put in.

Robin was getting dizzy turning his head back and forth. "What is your garment like, Robin?" Starfire asked, pulling him back to center.

"Oh, um, pretty basic tuxedo. One button jacket."

"I am certain you look most handsome in it." Starfire smiled.

Robin allowed his own lips to quirk as Barbara pulled into a back alley and hit a button on her dash, causing the "brick wall" on the building at the end of the street to retract.

"Cool!" Beast Boy crowed.

Robin made a face. "This entrance Babs? Are you sure you can do it in this car?"

"So it's a little twisty. I'll slow down a bit."

The next few minutes were filled with whoops and screams as gravity and centrifugal force pulled the passengers of the SUV around in their civilian-issue seat belts. Barbara pulled the vehicle to a short stop on the same platform she'd come in on. She laughed in exhilaration as the Titans landed back in their sitting positions.

"Everybody okay?" Robin asked as he unbuckled himself.

"Okay? That was _great!_" Beast Boy cheered.

"If you think so," Raven groaned.

Starfire turned around. "Friend Raven, you are nearly the same color as Beast Boy. I hope you recover quickly; it does not match your dress!"

* * *

Happy New Year!

I had a hard time with this chapter; I only had a couple of little ideas and for a while I toyed with the idea of just doing a little summary paragraph: they went shopping and bought stuff for the party. But I was able to flesh most of it out and I think it turned out okay. And yes, I purposefully left out the description of Starfire's dress. I _promise_ you will find out about it. But only when Robin does. _Muhawhawhaw..._

The next chapter should be more fun; there's fluff AND Batman in it, but the Muse always works harder when she knows she's loved, so, click the button!


	12. Unsupervised Teenagers

_Teen Titans _and _Batman _belong to DC Comics and Warner Bros. I'm just borrowing them.

_Chapter 12: Unsupervised Teenagers_

Supper turned out to be basically another mission briefing; once Bruce found out that Barbara was coming to the party, he starting changing his plans. This led to several minor spats between Bruce and Robin which Barbara quickly broke up. But the squabbles continued to escalate and Barbara had less and less luck settling them. Starfire stepped in at one point, suggesting a compromise. That earned her a stern look from both Bruce and Robin. Cyborg got mad at that and herded the non-Bat-related Titans out the door, muttering something about "Dynamic Duo, my ass," as he left.

"Now look what you've done!" Robin charged as the door closed. "Starfire's idea could work!"

"Perhaps, but I'm not the only one who frowned at her," Bruce noted evenly.

Robin seethed. "Listen, Old Man, this is _my_ team and we're here to _help_ you. I'm willing to work with Babs, but I'm not going to be dictated to!"

Bruce paused, staring his former ward and partner down. "Barbara, please be here tomorrow at 7:00 to work out with the Titans," he finally said, pushing up from his seat. "And Dick, that alien of yours is very naïve. She may be a powerhouse, but I hope you're not listening to her." He turned to go.

"You don't know anything about her!" Robin shouted at his back. "And her name is Starfire!"

The far door closed behind Bruce and Robin growled, punching the table and causing the dishes to rattle. "Do you see why I left?" he snarled, knowing Barbara was still behind him.

"I know," she said gently. "Believe me, I have my moments." She paused and then said quietly, "I won't come tomorrow if you don't want me to."

"No, we should work out together," he sighed. "It's not about you, it's..."

"I know," she repeated, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But, as infuriating as he can be, you have to admit he's usually right."

Robin snorted. "Depends on your definition of 'right.'"

She patted his shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Boy Wonder."

Robin puffed out a breath, trying to calm himself. "'Night, Babs."

Shoving a chair out of his way with his foot, Robin headed back to his room in the Guest Wing, planning on doing some Tai Chi in hopes of calming himself.

He smelled the moist air before he rounded the corner into the Guest Wing. It reminded him of rain and damp earth and somehow helped calm the fire in his belly a bit. It was not unpleasant, but told him that the clouds that he had seen earlier had brought precipitation with them. His cape ruffled as a breeze caressed his cheek upon his entrance to the hall. The doors to the balcony stood open and he could see Starfire leaning against the railing, her hair billowing around her.

As he drew up behind her, he saw that she had changed her clothes; instead of her purple uniform she wore a pink belly shirt under a thin pale pink button-down blouse that was open and fluttering below her hair. She'd completed the outfit with a pair of tight low-ride jeans that had outlines of stars stitched on the back pockets and some beaded flip-flops.

She was a vision: part angel, part seductress. Robin's blood warmed as he caught sight of the strip of bare skin at the small of her back and his eyes wandered over her behind, admiring how well her jeans accented said anatomy. His anger washed away as desire overtook him. He balled his hands into fists to keep himself from running his fingers over the stars on her pockets.

"Hey, Star," he greeted, somehow managing to keep his voice even. "I see you got more than just a dress for the party on your shopping trip."

She turned to him, smiling broadly. "The Batman said we could use some 'street clothes' and they were having a sale...it is alright that I purchased these items?"

Robin nodded, doing his best to keep his smile from turning naughty. "It's fine. You look...great."

Starfire's eyes squeezed shut as her smile expanded. Her smiles always warmed his heart. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened at dinner," he said, touching her arm briefly. "Your idea was actually a good one."

Starfire's smile turned into a scowl. "Then why did you look so angry with me?"

Robin shook his head. "It was _him _I was angry with. He always brings out the worst in me."

"I have noticed," she acknowledged, her frown turning sad.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

" You are forgiven, as I know these circumstances are difficult for you. Now come, enjoy the evening with me." The wind gusted, and she turned back out to face the garden, drawing in a deep breath. "Is the wind not..." she paused, looking for a word. "...delicious?"

Robin laughed. "I'm not sure 'delicious' is the word I'd use, but it is...pleasant."

And it was. It was a warm spring breeze that carried the promise of rain; moist and fragrant. It wrapped itself around the young heroes, and Robin grew a little light-headed as he watched Starfire enjoying it. She leaned out over the railing, her elbows supporting her, her face turned up and her eyes closed. In the dim gray light of the cloud-covered evening, she seemed to warm everything around her, aglow as if she truly were an embodiment of her name.

A distant rumble of thunder pulled Robin back to reality. "I think it's going to rain, Star. We should go inside."

Starfire's response was to grab his wrist and launch straight up, pulling him high above Wayne Manor. She stopped several hundred feet up and pulled him into her embrace, wrapping an arm around his waist. Instinctively, he coiled his arms around her neck and was just about to ask what she was doing when he found himself kissing her. She'd pressed her lips to his the moment he'd been in reach and he'd automatically responded.

The wind was more violent up here; it howled in his ears. That just seemed to drive his passion. He slipped an arm down her back and pulled her close, hooking his legs over hers. They kissed for what seemed like forever to Robin, buffeted by the winds, the air somehow driving them closer together. When they finally did part, Robin had to take several deep breaths before he could question her. "What are you doing?" He had to yell over the wind.

"Oh, Robin, is it not glorious?" Starfire shouted back. "I feel as though we are one with nature!" She stretched out an arm and threw her head back, her hair flying almost straight out.

He tightened his grip on her further. "It's pretty intense!" he agreed.

She turned back to him and smiled. "And we should be free of the Batman's security at this altitude, yes?"

Robin allowed himself the wicked grin he'd suppressed before. "Why you little...yes," he answered. "There are some outside cameras that are pointed up, but I doubt they can see what we're doing."

Starfire's grin turned coy as she reached in to kiss him again, and Robin's response was far from automatic this time. He immersed himself in the experience, savoring each touch and caress, allowing the winds to add unexpected sensations and enjoying the ride.

Starfire was gripping and pulling at his clothes; not an uncommon thing for her to do. In fact, it took several seconds for Robin to realize where she was going after she'd unbuckled his utility belt.

"Star...you're not seriously thinking of doing that up here!?" While they often floated while making love, it was usually only a few feet up and there was generally a sofa or a bed beneath them. She'd never dropped him, but she also had a tendency to lose control at certain points. And with this wind...

She answered him by pushing his clothing aside and squirming her body against his, activating their _**dpi'syr**_ gems. Robin's whole world spun as a surge of affection and desire rushed through him and mixed with the adrenaline that was already in his veins. He gripped Starfire as hard as he could, partly to center himself, but mostly out of his need for her. Their lips met again in a frenzy. In their pulling and gripping at each other, they turned in the wind, and Starfire's hair wrapped around both their heads. Robin actually liked it; it was another sensation that only further ignited his nerves. But when her hair began to stick to him, he realized it had started to rain.

He let it go at first; it just added to the experience. But it quickly intensified and actually began to hurt as it struck him. And it was _really_ cold.

"Star. Star!" He pulled away. "We're going to get sick if we stay out here. Or I will, at least!"

Starfire pouted a little but started to descend, dropping kisses on his cheeks and lips until they reached the top branches of a large tree, when she let him slip from her arms and lowered him by one wrist.

She alit beside him and he quickly dropped her hand in order to pull his clothing back together. He gave her a gentle nudge towards the door when he finished, pushing them shut against the wind as they rushed inside. "Aw damn," he muttered, seeing the soaked carpet.

"Robin? What is wrong?"

"It rained all over the rug. It'll have to be cleaned up soon or it will be ruined."

Starfire's face fell. "I am sorry if..."

"No, you couldn't have known. Don't worry about it." He popped the door to his room and hit the intercom to Alfred's quarters. "Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Robin?"

"I'm afraid the door to the balcony got left open, and the rug up here is soaked."

"Oh. However did that happen?"

Robin felt his ears get hot. "Well, I took Starfire up off the balcony to...see the Gothem skyline. We got caught in the rain."

"I see. Well, I'll be up in a bit with the steam cleaner. Do try to stay off the wet area."

"Okay. Thanks, Alfred."

Robin released the button and looked up at Starfire, who had worry in her eyes. "It's okay. Really. Go get changed into something dry."

She nodded silently, biting her lip as she turned and headed into her room. Robin shook his head as he went into his own bathroom, pulling off his dripping cape. "The things I go through for her," he muttered to himself.

TtTtTtTT

Robin led the Titans down to the Batcave's gym at 6:59 Saturday morning. It was a huge room, with equipment in one corner, an open area covered with mats in the center and a large section with emitters for simulations off to the right. Cyborg whistled. "This place puts the Tower's gym to shame."

"We've got the whole island at the Tower," Robin explained, referring to their outside practice yard. "Here at the Batcave, this is it."

Batgirl appeared in the far corner of the large room, and seeing them, jogged over, doing a couple of walkovers before landing in front of them with a little hop.

"Showoff," Robin grinned ruefully at her.

"Just want you to know I've still got it," she smiled back. "Have _you_ still got it, Boy Wonder?"

"We'll find out, won't we?" He raised an eyebrow cockily. "Okay, Titans - and Batgirl - let's warm up with a little sparring." He looked over his teammates, pondering. "Beast Boy, you take Raven."

"Oh yay," Raven droned.

Robin ignored Raven's comment. "Batgirl, you've got Cyborg."

"Um...he's kinda big."

"You've got advantages over him," Robin encouraged. "Don't go too easy on her, Cyborg."

Cyborg cracked his neck. "Wouldn't think of it."

"And I'll spar with Starfire," Robin went on. "We'll run some simulations in a bit."

Cyborg snickered. "Sure. You're going to _spar_ with Starfire," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Robin charged.

Cyborg cocked an eyebrow.

Robin took a step and jabbed a finger into Cyborg's face. "Just for that, Tin Man, first workout back at the Tower – you and me!"

"Bring it on, Bird Boy," Cyborg sneered. "It's been way too long since I've had the pleasure of knockin' you on your ass."

"Boys, please!" Starfire interjected. "We are here to do the training, not the fighting!"

The others all looked at each other, thinking that an odd statement as they were training to fight.

"It's okay, Star," Robin soothed, taking a step back. "You know this is just the way we pump each other up."

Starfire shook her head. "I have never understood how discord is meant as encouragement."

"It's...hard to explain," Robin said. "We're okay, really. Let's work out. Okay, Team, standard sparring rules: minimal powers, no projectiles. That means no Batarangs or other gimmicks, Babs."

Nods were exchanged and the three pairs split apart.

Beast Boy quickly took to the air, buzzing around Raven's head in bee form. She easily caught him in a bubble of her magic.

"You do realize that male bees only live long enough to mate," she droned at him.

Beast Boy turned back into a human, falling to the mat to land in a crouching position. "You wanna help me with that?" he asked cheekily.

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Don't tempt me."

A few yards away, Batgirl and Cyborg were circling each other, unsure of how to begin. "So, what's the point of this?" Batgirl asked.

"To get your opponent off her feet," Cyborg answered. "Robin's only been able to do it..." he was cut off as Batgirl landed a flying kick in the middle of his chest, forcing him back a step. "...once. Well all right!" he grinned. "This might be more fun than I thought!"

Meanwhile, Starfire waited patiently for Robin as she floated a few inches off the floor. He turned to her and frowned. "Star, I said no powers."

"You said 'minimal powers,'" she corrected. "I fly nearly all the time. I would consider that minimal."

Robin chuckled and dove at her; she darted neatly out of the way.

TtTtTtT

In his private office, Bruce switched views on his laptop between feeds from the Batcave's gym. Raven and Beast Boy seemed to be doing more flirting than sparring. Batgirl was holding her own against Cyborg. Bruce doubted she would be able to take him down, but she was quick and that was keeping her on her feet.

Robin and Starfire were the most lively. Starfire had avoided Robin's first few attacks, scooting out of the way before finally throwing an airborne roundhouse kick at him. He dodged it as she landed, finally putting her feet on the floor. They were off then, trading jabs and kicks.

"They seem quite well matched," Alfred observed as he put a cup of coffee in front of Bruce.

"Hmm," Bruce replied, reaching for the mug. "He's learned some things I didn't teach him."

Robin tossed off a flurry of moves that Starfire barely avoided.

"He shows improvement," Alfred remarked.

Bruce grunted a tacit agreement into his coffee just before thrusting his finger at the screen. "Except for that," he accused as Robin dove at Starfire, catching her around the waist and falling to the mat on top of her. "It's clumsy and amateurish, not to mention the third time he's used it."

"It seems to have worked," Alfred noted.

"This time," Bruce grumbled. Suddenly, he lurched forward in his chair to stare intently at the screen. "Did he just grope her?" He toggled the controls to run the recording back.

Robin, lying on top of Starfire after tackling her, was seen running his hands up her body on their way to pinning her arms over her head. In doing so, his left hand went directly over her right breast. It was fast, but Starfire's lips turned up in a coy smile for a brief moment. The audio on the feed was bad, but Robin was heard to say something like "Do you surrender?" Starfire clearly replied, "Never," before twisting her legs up and tossing him away.

"Perhaps it was an accident in the heat of battle," Alfred suggested.

Bruce shook his head. "I doubt it. Dick's been taught since before he could walk that you need to be aware of your movements; make the wrong one and it could kill you. No. He knew exactly what he was doing."

Alfred sighed. "Well, they _are_ teenagers. Teenagers that live unsupervised." He paused before asking: "Have you ever had 'the talk' with Master Dick, Sir?"

Bruce looked horrified but was stopped from responding by a yelp from the computer. They turned back to the screen to see Robin trapped beneath a green polar bear lying sprawled on its back. The bear quickly turned back into Beast Boy as everyone rushed to the scene. Shouts of "Robin!" "Dick, are you okay?" and "Dude, I am _so_ sorry!" were heard.

"You call that minimal powers?!" Robin barked at Beast Boy.

"It...it was instinct! Raven was like...and I just..." Beast Boy stuttered.

"Shut up and get out of the way," Raven ordered, pushing Beast Boy aside.

"I'm okay," Robin insisted as Raven knelt beside him.

"I'll fetch the medical kit," Alfred said, moving to do just that.

"Wait," Bruce stopped him, holding up a hand.

They watched as Raven placed a hand on Robin's leg, her eyes going dark. "You've sprained your ankle," she said after a moment. She repositioned her hands a little lower on his leg and began to chant softly. Her hands glowed for a few moments and then she sat back. "I've healed the injury, but you may be a little stiff for a few days."

Robin turned his ankle back and forth. "Thanks, Raven," he said as he climbed to his feet. "So much for sparring. Let's move on to a simulation..."

"That's a power I wouldn't mind having," Alfred remarked.

Bruce nodded as he turned to watch the beginning simulation. "I've never trusted anyone with supernatural abilities, but you're right; that would be a good one to have."

* * *

This has been a really fun chapter to write! That bit with Bruce watching them work out was another one of the very first ideas I had for this story, and it's nice to actually get it out. I always worry when I'm writing a scene like this that I've had in my head for a while if I've remembered to put in everything I thought of. This one actually changed a bit as Batgirl wasn't in my original conception; I just added her as I wrote this up. But the main parts are still there. The part at the beginning with Robin and Starfire out on the balcony I actually came up with not that long ago as a storm was blowing in here. That was fall. It's winter now....does that mean I'll start coming up with snowy ideas? None so far...

I want to thank everybody that's reviewed and continues to do so. Things are moving pretty fast now, and I actually have a section of the next chapter already written, so, with any luck, you might get it a few days earlier. But make with the love...it's wages for the muse, and she likes to be paid!


	13. A Tale From the Library

_Teen Titans _belong to DC Comics. While I have a subscription to the _Titans _comic, I don't think that qualifies as owning them. Darn.

_Chapter 13: A Tale from the Library_

by Lelila

After combat practice (and showers), Alfred served the Titans – and Batgirl – a hearty breakfast. Starfire and Raven dressed in streetclothes after their showers: Starfire much as she had the night before, only her top was purple and her jeans had hearts on the pockets, while Raven wore black knit slacks and a midnight blue turtleneck. Robin, realizing the day would be quiet, dressed in the only streetclothes he'd brought: the gray wool slacks and pale blue shirt he'd purchased for his last trip. Barbara whistled at him as he took his seat. He made a face at her, but she just grinned and winked at Raven, who looked at her like she was mad.

Bruce did not join them, so the meal was a bit raucous. Barbara seemed to fit right in, trading one-liners and bad jokes with Cyborg and Beast Boy. She departed as the meal ended, leaving them with a cheerful "See ya at the party tonight!"

"So what are we going to do today?" Beast Boy asked as Alfred cleared the dishes away.

"Well, the party starts at 7:00, and we should probably leave here about quarter-of, so be ready to go by that time," Robin outlined. "Other than that, the day is ours. I'd suggest getting some rest. Tonight is going to be a very long night."

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other. "Wii marathon!" they chorused before scrambling down the hall towards the Guest Wing.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Oh yay."

"You do not wish to do the marathoning of the Wii with our friends?" Starfire asked.

"Um, no."

"Well, there's lots to do around here," Robin said. He paused a moment and then snapped his fingers. "I have just the thing. Come on." He took a step and then stopped, twisting back. "You can come too, Star, if you don't want to watch Cy and BB."

Starfire didn't hesitate. "Oh yes! I have been wishing to see more of this lovely dwelling."

Robin smiled before waving them along and turning to lead them away from the Dining Room.

He guided them up the main staircase and towards the back of the house, passing many rooms and interesting pieces of art. After several minutes, they came to a large set of double doors. Robin pushed them open, revealing a huge two-story room lined with bookcases. The shelves were made of fine, dark wood and a balcony with an elegantly turned railing wrapped around the room at the second story mark. Clusters of matching, overstuffed furniture were scattered here and there and several tables with reading lamps were lined up near the far edge of the room.

Starfire gasped. "I have never seen so many books!"

"I thought you might have a library hidden around here." Raven's voice was dull, but there was a gleam in her eye.

Robin smirked. "There's a medieval religion section in here somewhere." He headed toward the back corner of the large room. They wandered the shelves for several minutes until Raven was heard to breathe, "By Azar...is this what I think it is?"

Starfire and Robin turned to find her pulling a large leather-bound volume from an upper shelf. She let it fall into her arms and her eyes went wide. "It is! It's _The Grimoire of Elf Charms and Spells._" She opened the heavy book with her powers and let it float in front of her. "And it's not a modern reprint!" She and the book floated over to a reading table. "I think I'm set for the rest of the day. Thanks, Robin.

Robin smiled after her and then turned to Starfire. "There's a big classics section up on the mezzanine. I'm sure we can find something you'll like." He started up the tightly-coiled spiral staircase that led to the second tier of the room. Starfire flew up over the railing and landed lightly in front of him as he emerged. He smiled gently and gestured behind her. "That whole wall is nothing but classics. If you've heard of it, it's back there." He brushed past her, skimming his fingers against her hand as he passed.

She followed him and began to look over the books. "Robin," she said after a few moments. "I do not recognize any of these titles."

"None?" Robin asked, furrowing his brow. Starfire couldn't help but think how cute he looked when he did that without his mask. "Not even on TV?"

Starfire shook her head.

"Hmmm. Well..." Robin turned back to the shelves and quickly pulled a small book. "Here. I'm sure you'll like this." He held it out.

Starfire accepted the slim volume. "_The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ by L. Frank Baum," she read from the gilt cover.

Robin nodded. "It's kind of a children's book, but I don't know anybody that doesn't like it."

"I trust your judgment," Starfire said with a smile. "May we read it together?"

Robin hedged, and Starfire thought for a long moment that he would refuse. But then he looked over his shoulder and pinched his brow in thought. She'd seen him do that many times before, but never without his mask. She found the way his eyes darted back and forth without looking at anything made him quite desirable.

"Um...yeah," he finally said. "Help me move that sofa." He walked over to the corner where a solid wood and leather chaise stood. He started to shove it, managing a few inches before Starfire grabbed an armrest with one hand and pulled, easily dragging the huge piece of furniture. "To what location are we moving it?"

Robin had given up trying to help. "A few more steps...there, stop!" He looked around a bit and then nodded. "That should be okay."

"Very well," Starfire let go of the sofa, finding herself in front of the large bookcase Robin had pulled their chosen volume from. "May I ask why it needed moving?"

"I uh...I think we'll be more comfortable here." He hopped the arm and landed in the middle of the cushions with a bounce. "Have a seat, Star." He patted the spot beside him.

Starfire had barely touched the leather when Robin grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her into a fierce kiss. Startled, she dropped her book, but quickly regained her senses and pulled him close.

"Robin?" she questioned when the pressure on her lips eased.

Robin slid his mouth over to her ear and began to whisper to her in French. "_There's an entrance to the Batcave behind this bookcase. Bruce wants no evidence of that, so there's a blind spot in the surveillance here." _

Starfire shivered as he fondled her earlobe with his tongue. _"Does that mean...?"_

Robin's breath puffed against her ear as he sighed. "_No. The audio still works. We will actually have to read the book. But we'll be able to cuddle while we do it."_ He pulled back, rubbing her arms before setting himself up against the armrest. She retrieved the book and snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

Robin took the book from her and began to read: "'Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas Prairies with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife...'"

Starfire was instantly swept into the story of the young girl whisked away to a strange and magical place. The tale did not seem so different than her own adventures here on Earth. She pondered this as she drifted in the happy sensations of the rise and fall of Robin's chest and the rumble of his voice in her ear. Without realizing it, she began to drift off to sleep...

TtTtTtT

Starfire often dreamt of her past, but usually those dreams were scary or sad. This one started out scary…

A loud BOOM followed by an insistent clatter started Starfire from her sleep. She shot into a sitting position, a yelp escaping her lips. Confusion flooded her brain: Where was she? What was that noise? Were they under attack?

"Starfire?"

Robin. It was Robin's voice.

"Are you okay?"

She found her anchor as Robin put his hand on her shoulder. The chaos in her brain ceased and she was in her bed in Titans' Tower, Robin at her side. It was morning, but the storm that raged dulled the daylight to a smoky gray.

"I…I am well, _**Aiyknrwa **_Robin," she panted. "I was merely…startled."

"You're shaking like a leaf, Star." She felt his breath against her neck. "C'mere." He pulled her into his arms and lay back down.

"My apologies," she said absently, still a bit dazed.

"No need to apologize; I was startled too," he soothed, stroking her hair. A different kind of thrill ran through Starfire as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

They had been sleeping in the same bed for a little over a week now – nine days to be exact. They'd been rather skittish thus far; the most intimate thing they'd done in the bed was fall asleep in each others' arms. The sofa had seen more action, despite Robin's worry that they'd be discovered whenever they did anything in a public area.

So Robin's tenderness now thrilled Starfire as well as calming her nerves. But she still jumped as another clap of thunder sounded directly over their heads. Robin's fingers slipped to her shoulder, squeezing gently. "It's okay," he repeated.

"I am aware the thunder is merely the collision of two air masses, but that does not keep me from being afraid for a few moments," she whispered hurriedly, hoping not to sound too silly.

"No, I understand," Robin soothed. "It's instinct: you hear a loud noise and you want to duck."

Starfire nodded against his shoulder and snuggled further into his embrace.

They lay in silence for several minutes, snuggling and listening to the rain buffet against the window. A sharp gust of wind caused the rain to clatter violently and Starfire shuddered again.

"_**Il est bien, mon cheré," **_Robin murmured while rubbing her back.

Starfire gripped him a bit more tightly. "Are you certain that an army is not attacking us with _**st'tped?"**_

"_**St'tped?"**_

"Long pointed projectiles not unlike arrows."

Robin chuckled. "Yeah, it does sound a bit like that, but no, I'm sure it's just the rain."

They lapsed into silence again, Starfire drifting in the tingles that Robin left on her skin as he traced his fingers over her back and shoulders. Suddenly, something occurred to her and she pushed herself up to look into Robin's face. "Why did you speak French a few moments ago?"

Robin blinked. "I did? Huh, I guess I did. Well, um..." He paused, his cheeks turning a little pink. "I guess it's because French was my mom's first language, and that's what she would speak to me when I was scared or hurt. And you..." he tenderly ran his fingers through her hair, "...you kind of make me feel the way she did: safe, loved, like everything will be okay."

He flashed an embarrassed grin, but Starfire beamed. "You make me feel much the same way." She scooted up his body and touched her lips to his. Another crash of thunder sounded, startling them apart. She buried her face in his neck and he tightened his arms around her. _**"Il est bien, il est bien,"**_ he murmured.

She rest against him until her heart rate returned to normal and then lifted her head to smile into his eyes. "I believe this is the first time you have spoken French to me," she said. "You speak many languages for one that cannot absorb them through touch."

"I learn them easily," he responded, toying with her hair again. "Would you like to teach me Tameranian? It'd be great to have our own 'secret' language."

Starfire pinched her brows together. "What is secret about it? Nearly everyone on Tameran speaks common Tameranian."

"But hardly anyone on Earth does." He smiled at her.

Starfire's eyes lit up. "Oh, of course! An excellent idea." She paused again, chewing her lip. "How does one learn a language?"

"You start with simple nouns and common phrases. Like...what's the word for 'hair?'" he asked, letting the ends of her tresses fall through his fingers.

"_**R'lo."**_

"_**R'lo," **_ Robin repeated. "Hair._** R'lo."**_

Starfire grinned as she quickly understood the teaching method. She flirtatiously traced a finger over his nose. _**"Biaw."**_

"_**Biaw." **_Robin echoed. "Nose._** Biaw."**_

Starfire's grin turned a little coy as she ran her fingertips over his eyebrows. _**"Jsot fr'rur."**_

"_**Jsot fr'rur.**_ Eyebrow?" She blinked her confirmation. Robin smiled back. _**"Jsot fr'rur."**_

Her eyes dropped coquettishly and she cupped his cheek in her hand. _**"D'xw."  
**_

"_**D'xw. **_Cheek?"

"Face, actually," she corrected. "Cheek is _**vyrrl."**_

"Uh huh," he nodded, pressing against her palm. _**"D'xw.**_ Face. _**D'xw," **_he dutifully recited. _**"Vyrrl.**_ Cheek. _**Vyrrl."**_

Starfire smoothed her hand over his jaw and let her fingers rest against his lips. _**"Snos,"**_ she purred.

Robin paused long enough to pucker said piece of his anatomy against her indicating digits. _**"Snos.**_ Lips. _**Snos." **_

Starfire slid her hand down his neck to his chest and brushed her lips against his. _**"Vwai."**_

Robin smiled that cocky grin of his. _**"Vwai."**_ He raised his head a bit to return her affection, holding the contact a moment longer. _**"Vwai."**_

Before Starfire could continue her lesson, Robin kissed her again, this time much more firmly. He tightened his arms around her and before long was licking at her lips, asking for entrance. Starfire quickly granted it, sliding her tongue over his. They wrestled a bit for control, and she almost didn't feel herself starting to literally float away. In an attempt to hold Robin as close to her as possible, she rolled them over so that she lay on the bed and he on top of her. Their lips lost contact in the maneuver but their eyes locked as Robin repositioned himself. His pupils were dilated and Starfire struggled to remember the English word for what she saw in them. _**Fr'dotr**_...desire. Yes, that was it. Desire.

Robin's lips were back on hers before she could ponder any other translations. She wound herself around him and lifted both of them from the bed. A shudder ran through her as Robin slipped his fingers beneath her sleepshirt and onto the bare skin of her back. Something between a gasp and a sigh trembled through her chest and out of her throat as he began to nibble on her chin. Her hands found his hair and she involuntarily pulled it as he licked a certain spot behind her ear.

And then, before she even knew what was happening, Robin's warmth was gone and he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his shoulders heaving. "_**Aiyknrwa**_ Robin? Are you the OK? My deepest apologies if I have harmed you; I do not always remember how strong I am..."

Robin raised a hand to stop her, but didn't look back at her. "You didn't hurt me, Star. But I um...I think we shouldn't do this in the bed."

"'This?' Oh, you mean the making out?"

"Yeah. That. We might um...be more willing to um...forget when to stop when we're in here."

Starfire worried that out. "But you have stopped now. What has made you do so?"

Robin cleared his throat. "Um...what was that word you used for 'aroused?'"

"_**Stpimdrf?**_ You are....oh."

Another loud crash of thunder sounded, the dream darkened, and Starfire was back in Robin's arms on the sofa in the Library at Wayne Manor.

TtTtTtT

"'So they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept well until the morning; and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the good Wizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again...' Star?" Robin trailed off as Starfire twitched in his arms. Finding her asleep, he smiled softly and gently stroked her hair. He put down the book and decided to watch over her as she slept. He was sitting up too far to lean his head back, so he tipped it sideways against the back of the sofa. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but he didn't care. Starfire was in his arms, and that was all that mattered. It had only been three nights since they'd slept together, but it felt more like three years to Robin. So he reveled in it, enjoying feeling like just two people in love.

At some point, he heard Raven leave and Robin began to lose track of time. He didn't realize he was dozing off until he heard Alfred's prim voice.

"Master Robin! There you are!"

Suddenly awake, he popped his head over the back of the sofa to see the butler standing at the top of the stairs. He insistently pressed a finger to his lips, feeling his eyes bug out a bit with the silent command.

"My apologies," Alfred said softly as he ducked his head. He strode over to the sofa. "I just wanted to let you know that lunch is ready..." He trailed off as he came upon the visage of the slumbering alien princess. He raised his eyebrows.

"We...do this sometimes," Robin stage-whispered. "We'll read a book together and she'll ask about stuff she doesn't understand. It's one way she learns about Earth."

All of that was true, but he conveniently left out the fact that they hadn't started reading _together_ until they'd become a couple. Before that, Robin would suggest a book and Starfire would come to him if she had questions.

"That's very kind of you," Alfred observed. "You seem to enjoy her company as well."

Robin felt his cheeks get hot. "She's pretty great," he said after a moment. "But you can't tell Bruce!" he hissed.

"A gentleman's love affairs are his own business," Alfred said simply.

Robin grinned in thanks.

"Robin?" Starfire questioned sleepily.

"It's okay, Star. You just fell asleep."

Starfire lifted her head, a drowsy come-hither smile on her lips. It quickly melted as she caught sight of Alfred. She jolted into a sitting position, scooting away from Robin. _"__**Dpi'syr!**__ We have been caught! What shall we do?"_ she asked fearfully in Tamaranian.

"It's okay, Star," Robin repeated in English. "Alfred can keep a secret."

Starfire looked doubtful. _"You are certain?"_

Robin nodded, favoring her with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure." He leaned forward and took her hand.

"_He will not inform your **k'norfka?"**_

Robin shook his head. "He said he wouldn't, and if Alfred's anything, he's a man of his word."

"_What of the surveillance?"_

Crap. "Um...I'm sure Alfred will think of something if it comes up."

Starfire glanced between the two men, still unsure. "I...If you believe so, Robin."

The three lapsed into an uncomfortable silence as Robin attempted to allay Starfire's fears with his gaze and the squeeze of his hand while trying to silence his own worries. He hoped that Bruce wouldn't decide to review these recordings; even just the audio was going to leave some big clues that Bruce probably wouldn't need to question his butler about.

"Princess Starfire, if I may, was that your native tongue you were using just now?" Alfred finally broke in.

The worry on Starfire's face evaporated as she smiled. "Yes, that was common Tamaranian. Robin has been learning to speak it."

"Ah," Alfred nodded his approval. "He always had a gift for languages. How is he doing? Better than with his Mandarin, I hope?"

"_That's coming along, thank you very much," _Robin shot back in said language. "Alfred's the one that taught me the Oriental languages I know," he told Starfire.

"_I thought he had a good teacher," _she said to Alfred in Mandarin before switching back to English. "Alas, I fear my teaching of my native tongue has not been as successful; Robin seems to understand much of what I say to him but seems to reluctant to speak in my language, and when he does he often has incorrect grammar."

"It's a strange language," Robin shook his head. "The exceptions to the rules have exceptions. It's really hard to think in."

"Are you not the one that told me that perfection is gained through practice?"

"Indeed," Alfred put in from behind Robin.

Robin shot a glare over his shoulder. "Didn't you say something about lunch, Alfred?"

"Ah yes. I am only planning a light dinner as I am uncertain what will be served at the party, so I would suggest not skipping lunch."

"Great idea," Robin hopped to his feet and pulled Starfire with him, squeezing her hand before letting it fall. The three of them filed down the staircase.

"Princess, you speak Mandarin as well?" Alfred asked as they reached the lower floor.

"Oh yes. I speak all of the languages Robin speaks, and many more as well. Tamaranians can acquire language through touch."

"Most interesting! Tell me, what language do you think Master Robin could use the most work on?"

Robin glowered at Alfred's back as he followed him to the dining room.

* * *

**Whew** I found the end of it. This started out as a simple little scene where Robin and Starfire get to cuddle and turned into a major plot point. Funny how these things happen! And that whole dream sequence started out as a flash of Robin, actually, running his finger over Starfire's nose. I'm tellin' ya, Silky on Zorkaberries....

Other changes too. _The Wizard of Oz_, was, until very recently _The Once and Future King_, just because it's much more romantic. But it's also very long. The entire cycle (4 books) is something like seven hundred pages. WOZ is only like 250, so it's reasonable they could have read it in an afternoon. But also, the story just relates better. I had some stuff about how Starfire was comparing the characters to her friends and she asked if Cyborg had a heart or not, and while it was cute, it didn't go anywhere.

I hope it was clear what was the dream and what wasn't. I tried to blockquote that particular section, but FF . net doesn't seem to like that tag, so...

And yes, sports fans, you get to find out what Starfire's dress looks like next chapter! The more love the muse gets, the harder she works!


	14. Before the Party

_Teen Titans belongs to DC Comics. That's not me._

_Chapter 14: Before the Party_

by Lelila

At ten to 7:00, Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy stood in the foyer of Wayne Manor, fidgeting in their tuxedos.

"Dude, we're gonna be late!" Beast Boy complained, tugging on his bow tie.

"A little," Robin said evenly.

"You're not worried?" Cyborg asked.

Robin shook his head. "It's better that we're fashionably late. It'll give the impression that we trust Fredo. And it's the chic thing to do."

"Oh, of course, chic!" Beast Boy flipped the tails of his coat.

The boys tuxedos were all very different. Robin's was simple: it was basically a black, one-button business suit dressed up with a slim bow tie. He could have been any other pretty boy were it not for his mask and gray gloves. Cyborg had told him the gloves made him look like a waiter, but Robin just shrugged and said: "I'm sure Dick Grayson's prints are on file somewhere."

Cyborg's outfit featured a double-breasted duster-length coat that actually looked quite good on him despite his bulk. And Beast Boy wore a white tuxedo with gold piping and short-waisted coat with tails that fell below his knees. Cyborg had laughed for a full ten minutes when Beast Boy had tried it on in the menswear shop, but Beast Boy had insisted on getting it. Robin had to admit that as silly as the outfit was, Beast Boy did look good in it.

"How's this goin' again?" Cyborg asked, pointedly ignoring Beast Boy's antics.

"Once the girls get here, we'll walk through the Batcave to the entrance off Metropolis Avenue. Alfred will pick us up there and take us to the party."

"Walk?!" Beast Boy squeaked. "In these shoes?" He gestured to his white wingtips.

Robin made an exasperated face. "Just be careful."

"What about the girls?" Beast Boy pressed. "I'm sure their shoes weren't made for walking."

"The girls can fly, Beast Boy."

"Oh. I knew that," Beast Boy giggled with embarrassment. "Hey! So can I!" He paused, frowning. "But I don't know if I can morph in these clothes."

"Don't do it if you don't have to," Robin instructed.

"What about you, Boy Wonder?" Cyborg prodded. "You gonna be able to move in that monkey suit?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders inside of his jacket. "I may not have the flexibility I normally have, but I've still got this:" He opened his coat to reveal his utility belt. "Hopefully I won't need it," he said, redoing his button. "With any luck..." he trailed off, hearing a rustle at the top of the stairs.

Raven had appeared, a vision in her dark blue dress. The large pearl she'd purchased hung from a long chain around her neck, swinging gently below her bosom over her abdomen, above where her navel would be. Small, matching earrings framed her cheeks, which had a light shade of pink applied to them. Her eyes had been heavily accented with a shadow that matched her dress and her hair had been curled into soft waves. She carried a small blue clutch and a pale blue shawl was hooked over her elbows.

"Whoa...Raven!" Cyborg called. "You clean up _good!"_

"You look like a movie star!" Beast Boy fanboy drooled.

Robin nodded his approval as Raven stepped off the last riser. "You look great, Raven."

She favored Robin with a small smile before turning to Cyborg and Beast Boy to size them up. "What are you supposed to be, the zombie of Fred Astaire?" she asked Beast Boy.

Beast Boy shook his head, snapping back to reality. "Whose zombie?"

Raven rolled her eyes.

"Where's Star?" Robin interrupted.

"Still doing her hair. She should be down in a minute," Raven answered.

"Typical girl, eh Rob?" Cyborg snorted. "Rob...?"

Robin had stopped listening.

Starfire stood at the top of the stairs, twinkling like a heavenly being.

"No," Robin croaked as his eyes refocused after the initial brilliance wore off. "Not typical at all."

Starfire wore a white wrap dress that dripped with faceted beads. It had a low-cut sweetheart neckline that curved over her bust into fringed straps that hung around her biceps, leaving her shoulders bare. The dress gathered at her waist with a large jewel and draped over her legs, opening at mid-thigh and curving around her calves. Every inch glittered with beadwork and she added to the look with a rhinestone necklace that settled into the notch in her collarbone. A beaded handbag hung from her shoulder and she balanced on high Lucite heels. Her hair had been curled into tight spirals and was held back from one side of her face with a sparkling comb. Her make-up was various shades of pink and purple, and while a bit heavy, it simply made her look dramatic, not garish.

Robin had never seen anything more beautiful. He could spend the rest of his life gazing at her.

Starfire carefully descended the stairs and stopped in front of Robin, who found himself staring into her cleavage. Her shoes had added four inches to her height.

Cyborg's low whistled pulled him out of his stupor. "Damn, Girl!" the automaton remarked. "Just...damn!"

"Hummina hummina hummina," Beast Boy babbled, his jaw slack.

Starfire giggled, raising delicate fingers to her lips and squeezing her eyes shut in that cute way of hers. "I take it you approve, Friends?"

"And how!" Beast Boy chirped.

Starfire's smile turned quizzical. "And how...what?"

A shot of relief rushed through Robin and a broad smile creased his features. The goddess turned out to just be Starfire. "He's just agreeing with you, Star," he explained, briefly touching her arm.

"And do you agree?" she turned back to him, blinking expectantly.

"One-thousand percent," Robin breathed. "You look...glorious." He very rarely used that word, but it really was the best description for Starfire at the moment.

"So much fuss about physical appearances," Raven droned. "Let's just get this over with."

Robin shook his head, firmly putting himself back in the situation at hand. "Right. Come on." He turned and led them to a smallish sitting room off the foyer. There was a sofa and a couple of chairs situated around a fireplace, and, beside a bookcase that housed some nondescript knick-knacks, there was a magnificent grandfather clock. Robin went straight to it and opened the top part of the cabinet, spinning the hands to 10:47. He pushed the center of the dial and a mechanical latch was heard. The clock shifted and swung away from the wall, revealing a small elevator.

"Dude! That's how me and Alfred came up when we first got here!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"Alfred and I," Raven corrected.

"I thought you went up the stairs," Beast Boy remembered.

Raven and Cyborg rolled their eyes. "She means your grammar, Grass Stain," Cyborg sneered. "It should be Alfred and...oh never mind."

"We're not all going to fit in there," Robin redirected. "Cyborg, you and Beast Boy go; you should both fit. And then the girls, and then I'll go by myself."

"Thanks, I don't need it," Raven said. "Save yourselves a trip." And with that she evaporated like fog from a windowpane.

"Dude, that was freaky!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I've never seen her do that without her cloak."

" Go!" Robin ordered, getting impatient with Beast Boy's running commentary. "Wait right outside the elevator when you get down there. And _don't_ _touch_ anything."

"Yes, Mom," Cyborg jeered as he hustled Beast Boy into the lift. He punched the button and the clock swung closed. After a few moments, the hands returned themselves to the proper time.

Robin waited a full minute before manipulating the clock again and calling the lift back. He ushered Starfire in with a small bow. Starfire giggled again and held out her hand as she took her place in the cramped cabin. Robin slid in beside her and waited for the clock to close before grabbing and squeezing it. He gave her a broad smile before dropping her hand just as the car arrived in the Batcave.

They headed off through the tunnels of the caverns. Raven and Starfire floated a few inches off the ground while Beast Boy complained about his shoes the whole way.

They surfaced in a narrow alley behind a hotel. Beast Boy promptly stepped into a pile of garbage.

"Ah! My shoes!"

"You're the one that wanted to wear white," Raven pointed out.

"Yeah, but I didn't think we'd be crawling around in caves!"

Raven released an exasperated sigh and waved her hand, the dirt disappearing from Beast Boy's shoes.

"Hey, thanks Rae!"

"Just don't expect me to do that when you spill punch all over yourself."

Beast Boy looked indignant. "Who said I was gonna do that?"

Raven and Cyborg looked at each other knowingly.

"Come on!" Robin called from the corner of the building. "He's here!"

Bruce Wayne's fairly generic and seldom-used stretch limo sat at the curb. They piled in and before Alfred had even pulled into traffic, Robin started in on his last-minuted instructions.

" Your job tonight is to keep your eyes and ears open. Mingle, dance now and then, but remember that anybody could be working for Fredo. If you see or hear anything suspicious, let me know as soon as you can. If you can't tell me, tell Bruce. But remember, he's here as Bruce Wayne, not Batman. Be _discreet_. Don't talk to him at all if you don't have to. And behave yourselves!" He frowned at Cyborg and Beast Boy. "This is a fancy, high-society occasion. Think...royal wedding. Act _better_ than if you were going to one of those."

"Of course, the last royal wedding we went to ended in a slam-down between the bride and her sister," Beast Boy grinned and high-fived Cyborg.

Robin and Starfire both frowned.

"Assume that's not going to happen," Robin told him.

"But that means it could!" Beast Boy shot a green finger at Robin.

"I do not believe that my sister will be in attendance," Starfire sounded irritated.

" This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Robin charged. "This is a _mission_. For one night, don't worry about being cute and funny and worry about doing your job."

"Alright! Jeeze!" Beast Boy held up his hands in defense. "I'll be stoic!" He crossed his arms and looked away.

"Thank you," Robin said, exhaling noisily. He heaved another breath, his expression visibly softening, and then turned to Starfire, placing a hand on her knee. "Star, we're going to have to play it down even more than we have at the Manor. I can't be the first person you come to tonight. If you need something, if you have a question, go to Cyborg, go to Raven. Not that you can't talk to me at all, that would be even more suspicious, but..."

"I understand, Robin," Starfire stopped him gently, placing her hand on top of his. "As you said, this is a mission." She sighed mightily. "I will be so glad to go home."

"Me too," Robin added softly, turning his hand over and lacing his fingers through hers.

The team lapsed into silence, a quiet awkwardness settling over them. It didn't last long, however, as they spotted a crowd standing outside what appeared to be a nightclub.

" Dude, what's happening there?" Beast Boy asked.

"That's the Gotham Opera House," Robin said. "That's where we're going."

As they drew closer, thy could see much of the crowd was carrying cameras and other recording equipment.

"It looks like a movie premiere!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Robin shook his head. "I knew the press was going to be here, but this is insane."

"Well this party is going to have all of Gotham's beautiful people," Raven observed.

Robin pushed out a breath. "Alright Team, I know Batman talked about the press a bit, but I need to stress this: _don't tell them anything._ You can be flip if you can do it without revealing something, but when in doubt, say 'No comment.' And remember, just as anybody can be one of Fredo's goons, anybody can be a member of the press, too."

"So, basically, don't say anything to anybody," Beast Boy summarized.

"Pretty much," Robin confirmed. "You can talk about the weather. Or sports. But that's pretty much it." He heaved another breath and squeezed Starfire's hand before letting it go. "Ready, everybody?"

"As we're gonna be," Cyborg replied.

"Okay, Teen Titans," Robin said evenly, little urgency in his voice. "Let's go."

TtTtTtT

They exited the car to a barrage of flashbulbs. Starfire had to cover her eyes, especially with the flashes scattering through the beads on her dress. She became totally disoriented and didn't move until she felt someone pushing her. She glanced back to see Raven, a perturbed look on her face.

The Team stumbled forward through the throng a few steps before getting to a clear pathway, most of the crowd now behind velvet ropes. She began to hear her name shouted. She heard all of their names, Robin's more than the others. Beast Boy grabbed her and turned her to face the din, shouting, "Smile, Star!" over the noise. Several pictures were snapped and Starfire took a few more steps towards the door.

"Titans, can we get a group shot?" someone called.

"Huddle up, Team," Robin ordered from behind her.

Despite Robin's request not to, Starfire couldn't help but feel Robin's anchoring presence as she heard the command in his voice. Relaxing a little, she walked to his side. Cyborg pulled on her arm a little and guided her behind Robin next to him. "Better composition," he answered her questioning look. "You're taller than he is." But Starfire sensed that there was more to it than that.

For several minutes the paparazzi snapped away and Starfire thought she might go blind. Finally, the press began to call for Robin again, and it was with some relief that she was able to turn away and start towards the entrance again. She only got a few steps when someone called, "Cyborg! You and Starfire!"

Cyborg grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, throwing an arm around her shoulders. The flashbulbs popped. They soon started calling just for her. "C'mon, guys!" Cyborg answered goodnaturedly. "Ya'll know _I'm_ the money shot!"

That elicited some false-sounding laughter. Cyborg stepped away with a flourish and the flashes started again. They asked for her to turn this way and that, and she complied as best she could.

"All right, that's enough fellas," Cyborg said after a few minutes, pulling her arm through his and leading her away. She smiled her thanks.

They'd almost made it to the door when they heard: "Robin! You and Starfire!"

Starfire glanced back uncertainly. Surely having their picture taken together was not a good idea if Robin didn't want them seen together. But Robin, standing about ten feet away, held out a hand. "It's okay, Star," he said softly.

The flashbulbs started again, and very shortly, someone called, "Put your arm around her!"

Starfire glanced at Robin, but he just looked straight ahead and slipped his hand around her back, bringing it to rest on her hip.

The flashes continued, and another person asked, "Robin! Are you seeing anybody?"

"Sure," Robin replied without missing a beat. "I can see you right now."

The laughter this time sounded a little less forced. "Seriously," the reporter pressed. "Anybody special in your life?"

"My friends and teammates are all very special," Robin replied evenly. Starfire felt him move his hand and press it into the small of her back. "Especially considering most of them have superpowers. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a party to get to."

He gave Starfire a gentle push and the two of them walked to the door, meeting Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven there. Cyborg offered her his arm again, and she took it with a smile. Beast Boy did the same to Raven. She raised a skeptical eyebrow in reply, but did accept after a moment. A uniformed doorman ushered them into the ornate building. They had arrived.

* * *

Sorry for a bit of a longer wait between updates this time; the muse got all obsessed with a new one-shot I dashed out in the middle of writing this. It's called _The Voyeur_, and it's up now (I'm sure you heard about it from your author alert, right?). It's entirely from Beast Boy's point of view, but there's a lot of Rob/Star in it. I wasn't really sure how to classify it when I put it up; Beast Boy is the main character, but there's a lot of romance that's not about him in it and there's a bunch of Cyborg stuff in it too. It's in the _Falling_ universe, in-between _Falling_ and _The Curse of the Bat_. It's rated M, so take that for what it's worth. I'm sure you'll all go read it now.

Anyway, enough shameless self-promotion. About this chapter. The real point of this chapter was just to get everybody dressed up and on their way. What did ya think of Starfire's dress? I so wish I could draw; I have a very specific idea of what they all look like all dressed up like this, but, well, I just do the best I can in describing them. As usual, this was just supposed to be a little bridge scene to actually get them there, but the muse has had way too many zorkaberries here lately. Not that that's a bad thing.

Leave many loving reviews; maybe the muse will stay focused this time!


	15. Scenes from the Party, Part I

_Teen Titans belong to DC Comics. I'm just throwing a party for them._

_Chapter 15: Scenes from the Party, Part I_

by Lelila

"Well, that was weird," Raven remarked as they passed into the relative quiet of the building's entryway.

"That was cool!" Beast Boy declared.

"If you call basically being assaulted 'cool,'" Raven commented.

They bypassed the coat check in the entryway and entered into the grandiose lobby of the Gothem Opera House. It was a huge space, done entirely in pale pink marble: the walls, the floor, the stairs, the banister. The ceiling was covered in Baroque-style frescoes and a huge chandelier hung from the center. Two staircases curved around the outside walls up to a balcony at the second level. There was a lavish buffet table under one staircase. A bar was set into one wall and a band playing standards and dance music was opposite it. The room was full of richly-dressed people, and stiffly-uniformed waiters carrying trays of drinks dotted the crowd. A large area had been marked off for dancing and quite a few couples were taking advantage of it. The Titans paused just inside the door, taking in the scene.

"What a beautiful structure!" Starfire breathed.

The comment went unanswered and a moment later Robin gave the order: "Spread out."

His teammates left his side in four different directions, but Robin just stood, surveying and re-surveying his surroundings. He noted possible exits and ambush points. He was starting to take in the party attendees when a shorter, well-fed, older man came into view and started towards him.

"Robin, my boy!" the man boomed. "I'm so glad you were able to make it!"

"And pass up the chance to see you make a spectacle of yourself, Fredo? Wouldn't think of it."

Fredo laughed heartily, slapping Robin's shoulder. "Ya got spunk, kid. I like that. What are ya drinkin'? Are you old enough to drink? Aw, it doesn't matter, it's my party! You, Waiter," he snapped his fingers at one of the wandering servers. "Bring me a scotch, neat. And my young friend is having..."

"Diet cola," Robin supplied evenly.

Fredo gave a calculated grin. "A man in control. I like that too. What are you waiting for?" he barked at the waiter. "Make it snappy!"

"Yes, Mr. Hemiola," the young man squeaked, dashing off towards the bar.

"I see you brought your friends," Fredo went on as the waiter left, that false grin returning to his face.

"I said I would," Robin replied simply.

"What about your partner?"

"_Former_ partner," Robin stressed. "Batman will be here if he's needed." He paused, letting that hang in the air. "But we're not going to need him, are we, Fredo?" His tone was half friendly, half ominous.

Fredo's chuckle grew into a belly laugh. "Of course not! You'll see, I'm a man of my word."

The waiter reappeared balancing their drinks on a tray. Fredo took a long pull from his. Robin accepted his but purposefully didn't drink from it.

Fredo loudly swallowed his drink. "Around 9:00, we're gonna have a little presentation, so make sure you're not off in the cloakroom with some pretty girl at that time!" He winked theatrically, and Robin rolled his eyes behind his mask. In doing so, he caught sight of Starfire being chatted up by a guy who was easily ten years older than Bruce. Robin felt the back of his neck heat up.

"In the meantime," Fredo continued, "eat, drink, dance, mingle, have a good time!" He clapped Robin's shoulder again. "You'll excuse me, there are a lot of people to talk to tonight!"

Robin nodded silently, watching Fredo stride away and greet someone else just as boisterously. He swept his eyes around the room again, only to find Starfire dancing with the guy she had been talking to a moment before. Robin's hands involuntarily clenched into fists.

TtTtTtT

Over by the buffet table, Cyborg was pondering the many different finger foods. He'd finally decided on some shrimp when something brushed his arm.

"Excuse me," a smooth contralto cooed in his ear. He turned around to see a gorgeous girl with the most bewitching amber-colored eyes. "Sorry," she purred. "I didn't mean to bump you." Cyborg wasn't sure she meant that.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, forcing himself to look away from those eyes.

"You're Cyborg, aren't you?" She didn't sound like she needed to ask. "I've seen you on the news."

"Kickin' butt, I hope." He tried to sound smooth. He wasn't sure he succeeded.

The girl cocked half a smile. "Always." She dropped her eyes coquettishly and picked a shrimp off his plate. "You know, whenever I see the Titans on TV, you're the one I always look for." She sucked the shrimp into her mouth with an audible slurp.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He watched her lips twist as she chewed and nodded.

"Mm hmmm," she answered, swallowing. "There's something about you...you just exude...maleness." She leaned into his personal space. "Robin sort of does it too, but he's way too skinny. You, on the other hand..." She trailed off, raking her eyes over his body.

Cyborg pulled on his collar out of nerves. "I've got it more than Rob, huh?"

"Oh, yeah!" She took another shrimp from his plate and eyed him as she chewed it. "You know, there were rumors he was a girl before he moved out west and started letting the press catch him."

Cyborg laughed. "Seriously?"

"Uh huh. He was this skinny kid that did all these fancy acrobatics, and nobody ever got a really good look at him, so...yeah. Besides, do you know any guys named 'Robin?'"

Cyborg pondered. "Robin Leach."

The girl snorted. "Yeah, but he's a fairy."

"Maybe. But his folks didn't know that when they named him."

She made a face conceding the point. "Still, there were...other rumors about him and Batman, too."

"'Other' rumors?"

She gave him a knowing look. "You know...that he and Batman were...more than friends."

"Oh, _those_ rumors," Cyborg realized. "I've heard those rumors."

"There any truth to 'em?"

Cyborg smirked flirtatiously. "I can't be tellin' ya all my secrets...I don't even know your name."

She returned the smile. "Trisha."

"Well, Trisha, why don't we dance and I'll drop some hints?"

Trisha laughed genuinely. "That's probably the best offer I'm going to get tonight." She took his hand and followed him onto the dance floor.

TtTtTtT

Robin had taken up a post by the bar. He'd dumped the glass of soda that Fredo had given him and was sipping a bottle of water he'd opened himself. Right now he was listening to the conversations going on around him. He'd heard a few interesting things about Gotham politics – he'd have to get with Bruce later – but nothing about Fredo.

He was considering moving when a middle-aged woman walked up next to him and ordered a glass of wine. She looked good for her age; slim, skin relatively free of blemishes and wrinkles, hair, though obviously dyed, still thick and healthy looking. She turned to him and gave him a rather feral smile as the bartender went to fetch her drink. "Welcome home, Cutie."

"Thanks," Robin grunted absently.

Her eyes drifted over his body. "Well...you are certainly not a boy anymore."

He looked at her, furrowing his brow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, they used to call you 'The Boy Wonder,' right?"

"I've heard that," he replied coolly. He'd come to really hate that title. The press had tagged him with it shortly after he started going out with Batman. At first he'd thought it was cool, but then, he was actually a _boy_ back then.

"That's my point. There's nothing boyish about you." That feral smile returned.

"Uh...thanks," Robin answered, not sure how to react.

"You're most welcome," she cooed, taking a step closer. Robin could smell her perfume; it was thick and musky, nothing like what Starfire smelled like.

"You know, I do my best to thank those who risk themselves for others...policemen, firemen, superheroes..." She spread her fingers over his chest and leaned in further.

"Um, that's great," Robin squirmed. "But really, a 'thank you' and a handshake is more than enough."

She threw her head back and laughed, a sound that wasn't quite evil. "Handshake? Don't be silly! I can give you a much better thank-you than just a handshake!" She placed her other hand on his chest and pressed in again, her face mere millimeters from his now. "I'm sure I can show you a much better time than either of those skinny little girls you hang around with," she whispered.

Robin's embarrassment evaporated as indignation took over. "Listen, Lady..."

"Robin? Robin, is that you?" a voice sounded from behind him. He turned, the woman's hands slipping off of his chest. "Commissioner Gordon! Am I glad to see you!"

"I'm sorry," the older man hedged. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Robin replied firmly, sliding a step away from the pushy woman. "Absolutely not."

"Well!" she sniffed. "Maybe you are still a boy after all." She snatched her glass of wine from the bar and downed it in one long gulp, glaring at Robin as she did so. She slammed the glass on the bar and spun around, flipping her hair haughtily as she marched away.

"Can I ask what that was about?" Commissioner Gordon asked.

"Nothing good, I'm sure," Robin shook his head. "How have you been, Commissioner?"

"The same," the white-haired man answered. "The city's not been the same since you left, though."

Robin nodded. "Batman's filled me in on how Fredo's changed things."

Gordon pursed his lips. "In some ways it's been better, but in most, it's been much worse."

"That's why I'm here," Robin set his jaw. "We're going to take Fredo down once and for all.

Gordon nodded. "I hope you're right." He paused. "Is that why you left? Because of Fredo?"

"Indirectly," Robin answered cryptically.

"Well, it's good to have you back."

Robin frowned. "We're not staying long, Commissioner. We'll be going back to Jump once this is resolved."

Gordon sighed, nodding in a defeated way. "I figured that. Thanks for coming, though."

"I finish what I start," Robin declared. "It's the Titans you should thank."

"I'll do that." He frowned, tipping his head a bit to look over Robin's shoulder. "Who is that with Barbara?"

Robin turned to see Beast Boy nodding and smiling as Barbara laughed.

TtTtTtT

Beast Boy was munching a carrot to keep from drooling too badly over all the beautiful women in the room when he heard someone behind him say, "Hey, Beast Boy!"

He swallowed quickly and turned to find Barbara Gordon there, a vision in her blue dress. He opened his mouth to greet her warmly and raucously, but caught himself. Robin had said to behave as though they were at a royal wedding, after all. "Ummm...how are you this evening, Miss Gordon?"

Barbara laughed. "You are adorable, you know that?" She leaned in and whispered: "It's okay, the press knows we know each other. It's that other thing I do that we can't talk about."

"Oh...right!" He grinned. "How's it goin', Babs?"

She laughed again. "Just got here, actually." She sighed. "I hate these stuffy parties. I wind up going to a couple a year as Daddy's date. Is the food any good, at least?"

"The carrots are. Haven't tried anything else."

She grabbed one that dangled forgotten in his fingers and crunched into it. "Not bad, as far as carrots go, anyway. But the best stuff is always the seafood. Let's see what they've got."

"Um, Babs? I'm a vegetarian."

"Seriously? Even fish?"

Beast Boy nodded. "I've been most of those animals. I wouldn't want to be somebody's finger food."

Barbara pressed her lips together in thought. "Hmmm. I guess I've never thought about it from the food's point of view."

"You should once in a while."

"Okay, okay," she relented. "Let's go check out the dessert table, then. I'm sure there's something there a vegetarian can eat." She grabbed his hand and began to pull him towards the goodies.

TtTtTtT

Robin couldn't stand it. Every time he saw Starfire she was dancing with a different guy. He tried not to look at her, he really did, but that dress of hers just kept catching his eye. And while he still thought she looked fabulous, he also realized how much skin she was showing. Her shoulders, arms and chest were bare and her legs were visible from the knees down. And when she moved, her thighs peeked out, almost flirtatiously. Every guy in the room was leering at her; he could see the lust on their faces. It made his blood boil. Starfire was _his_, damn it. He had the magical jewel in his navel to prove it.

Needing to do something, and unwilling to get into an argument with Starfire here, he scanned the room. He quickly found Raven standing across from the buffet table, balancing what looked like a cup of tea in her hands. Purposefully striding up behind her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and thought as clearly as he could: _"Why did you let her buy that dress?"_

She turned, her eyes flashing dark for a moment. _"Say again?"_ her voice sounded in his head.

"_Why did you let her buy that dress?_ " he repeated, his inner voice sounding loud even to him.

Raven's brows pinched. _"I didn't let her do anything. I'm not her keeper,"_ she snapped defensively. But then Robin heard her inner chuckle. _"You're jealous."_

Robin glowered.

"_You know, just because you two have some kind of magical alien bond, that doesn't mean other people won't find her attractive. Or you, for that matter._ " She flashed the image of the older woman that had hit on him earlier into his mind.

Robin cringed. She'd seen that?

"_Still,"_ he insisted. _"It's so...immodest."_

"_You mean because you can see her cleavage?"_

"_Raven!"_

"_Seriously, her uniform really doesn't cover that much more. Besides, I thought you said she looked great."_

"_She does. I did. It's just..."_

"_She's yours but you can't lay claim to her tonight."_

Robin sighed audibly._ "Exactly."_

Robin felt Raven pause, and her consciousness faded away for a moment. She seemed to be thinking. _"Dance with me,"_ she came back with, rather out of the blue.

Robin laughed in surprise. "What?" he asked out loud.

"Dance with me," she repeated. "It'll get your mind off of her. Besides, I know you're just dying to show off your mad dance skillz."

Robin laughed again. The slang coming out in Raven's monotone was too funny. "You've been hanging out with Beast Boy too much."

"Don't accuse me of that," she said seriously, holding out her hand as she set her cup on a nearby windowsill.

Robin smiled cheekily, "If you say so." He took her hand and led her out to the dance floor.

He had just put his hand on her waist when the current song ended and a bouncy, ethnic-sounding dance tune started. Raven's brow creased. "What is this?"

Robin grinned. "It's a polka."

"A polka?!" Raven looked horrified.

"Oh, come on, now. Admittedly, it's a folk dance, but it's fun. They seem to think so." He gestured to the couples around them.

"I don't do fun," she frowned.

"Hey, you're the one who asked me to dance."

Raven's frown increased. "Alright. How do you do this?"

"It's pretty easy." Robin took a step back and demonstrated the hop-jog-jog-jog hop-jog-jog-jog steps of the dance.

"That's it?"

"That's it," Robin confirmed. "Follow me for the rest."

Raven moved back into Robin's arms. He nodded to his left and they hopped that way. They managed a few steps when Raven suddenly stopped. "I'm stepping on my dress."

"So pick it up."

Raven looked blank.

Robin shook his head. "Your skirt. Use the hand that's on my shoulder to hold up your skirt."

Raven closed her eyes and exhaled an aggravated breath. "I knew that," she mumbled as she gathered up a handful of her dress.

They started off again, and after a few steps, Robin began to guide them away from their starting point. They were soon skipping all around the dance area, and Raven was actually laughing. Well, tittering might be a better word as it really wasn't much, but she was smiling and making the occasional happy noise.

The music ended much too quickly, and Raven spun out of Robin's arms, stopping several steps away. They turned and applauded the band and Robin saw Raven close her eyes and fix a neutral expression on her face.

"_Thanks_ ," he heard her in his head. _"That was fun."_

* * *

Happy Easter!

Yeah, yeah, I know it takes me forever to update. Real life has been a rhymes-with-witch here lately, and, as much as I love doing it, writing is kinda far down on my list of stuff to do. But I have some time this week, and while I'm not going to promise another update this week, I will promise that I'll work on the next chapter!

This chapter was kind of hard, actually. My ideas for it were really just little flashes, so I really had to work on fleshing all of this out. And the next chapter is going to be more of the same, so...patience, please! I will promise some fluffage next chapter, so it will be worth the wait!

Thanks to everybody who keeps reviewing and keeps prodding me; it's really nice to know that there are people out there reading this and wanting more. It's never far from my mind, even if it is far down on my list of things to do, please know that. Leave lots of loving reviews...you know the muse lives for them!


	16. Scenes from the Party, Part II

_Teen Titans belongs to DC Comics. But my party goes on...._

_Chapter 16: Scenes from the Party, Part II_

by Lelila

Starfire headed towards the band after she left Robin's side. She had never heard music like this before and was fascinated. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet to the lively tune and looking over the crowd when a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair approached her. "Starfire, yes?" He held out his hand. She took it, but he didn't really shake it; he just held it between both of his for several moments.

"Yes, I am Starfire," she answered. "What is your name?"

The man gave a toothy smile. "I'm Hoyt Howard, and I'm the mayor of Gotham City." His voice was smooth and sugary, like the _**s'jof**_ honey she'd so enjoyed as a child.

"Oh! Have you spoken with Robin? He has said that he and Batman worked with you."

"That was before my time, I'm afraid. I am looking forward to meeting him, though."

"I shall be happy to introduce you. I believe I saw him..."

"Maybe later," he cut her off, his voice oozing over her again. "Right now, why don't we dance?" He took her arm and began to lead her out to the dance floor.

"Um...very well," Starfire replied uncertainly.

He led her to the middle of the dance area and pulled her into his arms. "So, Starfire," he asked as he began to dance her around the floor, "Are you enjoying your stay in our fair city?"

"Oh yes! I must say, I most enjoy your downtown shops."

"We do have a wonderful shopping district. How about our nightlife?"

Starfire looked blank. "You have things here that are only alive during the night?"

Howard laughed. "Well, in a sense. I'm talking about our theaters, restaurants and nightclubs."

"Oh!" Starfire flashed an embarrassed smile. "I have not experienced any of that in this city. This is only our third night here and this is the first time we have been out after dusk."

The mayor's toothy smile reappeared. "Well, if you're ever interested, I'd be happy to show you this lovely little restaurant I know that's not far from here. Family-owned, very private. Best Italian food in Gotham."

"Thank you for the invitation. I shall have to ask my friends if they are interested."

Howard's smile grew a little impatient. "No, Dear. Just you and me."

Starfire stepped rather firmly on Howard's foot.

"Ow!"

"Oh, I am so very sorry!" She stepped back out of his arms, her hands flying to her mouth. "I am not terribly familiar with Earth dancing, and I have never worn shoes quite like these. Are you damaged?"

Howard shook his foot a bit before testing his weight on it. "I...I think I'll live." He looked back up, that toothy smile returning. "So...dinner?"

"Perhaps sometime I am in town without my friends." She smiled knowingly at him. "Thank you for the dance."

TtTtTtT

After dancing with Robin, Raven's emotions were a bit of a jumble. It had been fun, but strong emotions of any kind, positive or negative, could affect her control. She'd taken a moment to center herself right after they'd finished, but she still felt a bit emotionally fragile. She went back over to the bar to order another herbal tea.

"Hey, Raven! Great party, huh?" a voice sounded from behind her.

Raven froze. Beast Boy. He was the last person she wanted to talk to at the moment.

"If you like this sort of thing," she answered through clenched teeth as he appeared at her right. Her tea could not arrive fast enough.

"Heh. I saw you dancin' with Robin. He order you to do that?"

"No," Raven answered, inhaling her tea as it was finally set in front of her. "It was my idea."

"_You_ wanted to dance?"

"Believe it or not." She took a long pull of her tea, the warmth of it relaxing her as it filled her belly.

"I never know what to believe with you, Rae."

Out of the corner of her eye, Raven saw him disappear behind her, presumably to come up on her other side to get closer to the bar. But he never appeared, and a moment later he said: "Hey, Rae, there's something on your back."

Her newly-warmed stomach turned cold. "Where?"

"Sticking out of your dress. Here." She felt him rub a thumb against her skin just above the small of her back.

Oh no. She'd thought her dress came up far enough to cover that! It must have shifted while she was dancing. "It's nothing," she said quickly, using her powers to pull up her dress.

"Is it some demonic birthmark or something?" Beast Boy pressed.

"No, it's not a birthmark. And it's not demonic." Raven swallowed the last of her tea and signaled the bartender for another.

"Then what is it?"

"I told you it was nothing!" she turned to him, her eyes flashing black.

"Okay, okay!" Beast Boy held up his hands. "But if it's nothing, how come you won't tell me?"

Raven turned back to the bar and puffed out a sigh. Since when did Beast Boy's arguments start making sense? "It's a tattoo," she mumbled.

"What??"

"It's a tattoo, okay? I had it done when I first left Azarath and I was trying to define who I was. It's not a big deal." She picked up her tea and started to walk away, but stopped and turned back on him. "But if you tell anybody, you're going to spent the rest of your life as a maggot, got it?"

Beast Boy grinned at her. "Your secret's safe with me, Rae." He nudged her with his elbow conspiratorially. "But...what's it of? Can I see it?"

"NO, you can't see it!" she huffed. "And...it's...a raven. A raven in flight over the small of my back. Happy now?"

"I'd be happier if I could see it," he said. Raven's eyes turned dark again. "But...I'm good."

"Good." She turned to walk away again.

"Hey, Rae!" he called after her.

She stopped, but didn't say anything.

"Wanna dance?" he asked seriously.

"Maybe later," she said softly as she continued off towards the balcony to get some fresh air.

TtTtTtT

Cyborg drew up alongside Robin at his current place near one of the staircases. "How's it goin'?"

Robin frowned. "It's not, really. If Fredo's planning anything, he's playing it pretty close to the chest. You hear anything?"

"Nothin' I'd put any stock in. But here's the real question:" Cyborg paused, and Robin arched his mask, curious if Cyborg had thought of something he hadn't. "Are ya havin' a good time?" Cyborg finished with a big grin.

Robin sneered. "We're not here to have a good time."

"That may not be the prime objective, but this is a party, after all. Have you tried the food?"

Robin shook his head. "I'm not taking the chance it's laced with something."

Cyborg chuckled. "I've been eating it all night. If there's somethin' in it, it's pretty slow-acting."

Robin snorted. "I wouldn't put it past him."

"Well, you'd know better than me, but, you do have a tendency to be a little paranoid, ya know."

Robin's sneer deepened into something approaching a snarl.

"Okay, okay," Cyborg backed off. "Have you at least danced with anybody?"

Robin's face relaxed a bit to the merely serious. "Raven. Babs. Some chick who claimed to be Fredo's niece. If she knew anything, she wasn't talking. I take that back," he corrected. "She talked plenty, but she didn't say anything useful. Total airhead."

"You danced with Raven?" Cyborg asked in disbelief.

Robin nodded. "Polka."

Cyborg hooted with laughter. "You _polkaed_ with Raven? Man, I would've paid to see that."

One corner of Robin's mouth turned up. "She smiled, too."

"Whoa! Did you check her temperature?"

The other corner of Robin's mouth turned up. Cyborg laughed in return.

"What about Star?" Cyborg asked after a moment of silence.

"What about her?" Robin played dumb.

"Have you even talked to her since we got here?"

Robin coughed and muttered behind his hand: "I've kind of been avoiding her."

Cyborg looked stern. "Aren't you the one that said it would look weird if you didn't talk to each other?"

Robin sighed. "Yeah..."

"Ya gotta dance with her, man. It'll look weird if you don't."

"I know. I'm just…"

"Afraid of losing it?" Cyborg supplied. Robin frowned and looked away, not denying it.

"Aw, c'mon," Cyborg encouraged. "It's Starfire! You know, best friend, person you can tell anything…"

"Girl I'm sleeping with…" Robin muttered, _sotto voce_, out of the side of his mouth.

"Aw…ya gotta forget that for tonight."

"Forget it?!" Robin squeaked. "Have you seen her?"

"Just…pretend she's your sister."

"Sister…? Have you seen her?" Robin repeated.

The band began a new number; a jazzy piece with a swing rhythm.

"This is a good song," Cyborg said, giving him a shove. "You'll be fine."

Robin stumbled a few steps and stopped, casting a disparaging glance back at Cyborg before looking around to find Starfire. She was only a few feet away, standing near the end of the buffet table. He cleared his throat and adjusted his jacket, squaring his shoulders as he approached her. "Uh...Starfire? Would you like to dance?"

Starfire turned and her face lit up. Robin felt himself go weak in the knees; that smile always made him pause, and tonight, looking like a goddess, it just seemed magnified. "Oh yes!" she replied. But then her face fell, and she switched over to Tamaranian. _"Do you think we should?"_

"_It would look strange if we didn't,"_ Robin replied in Cantonese. _ "I've already danced with Raven."_

Starfire's smile returned. _"I had hoped we would be able to dance together,"_ she said, again in Tamaranian. But her face suddenly changed to one of questioning. "I thought you did not know how to dance," she queried, switching back to English.

Robin's brow creased. "When did I say that?"

" When..." she faltered, and came back in Tameranian. _"On our first date. You did not wish to dance because you said you did not know how."_

"_Our first date?"_ Robin repeated in Tameranian. Despite the fact that they'd been a couple for nearly a year, they'd never really been out on any "dates."

"_Yes. That evening that Cyborg prepared such a delicious meal for us, and we dined in the Observatory?"_

"Oh, that!" Robin laughed, not thinking to use something other than English. "I um..." he coughed, switching back to Cantonese. _"I was nervous. That's why I said that."_

"_So you lied,"_ Starfire frowned.

"Um...kinda." Robin scratched the back of his neck nervously. "But I do know how to dance. Alfred made sure of that."

Starfire's smile returned. "Very well. I look forward to you demonstrating your dancing skills."

Robin smiled back and held out a hand. Starfire took it and he led her out onto the dance floor, beginning a modified Lindy to match the rhythm of the song. Starfire seemed to follow very well.

"So, you've been dancing a lot, I see," Robin said after a few beats. He did his best to keep his tone neutral, even though jealousy gnawed at the back of his throat.

"Oh yes, everyone seems very eager to do so," Starfire answered.

"Uh-huh," Robin frowned. "Find out anything?"

"Alas, no. They all seem much more interested in what my thoughts are. The few queries I have made regarding our host have not revealed anything of substance."

Robin nodded. "You haven't told anybody anything important, I hope?"

Starfire's lips turned down briefly. "No. Mostly I have spoken about my experiences here in Gotham City and life on Tameran."

"Good." Robin raised up on his toes and leaned to his left a bit before guiding them through a turn.

Starfire looked bewildered. "Robin?"

"I had to make sure we weren't going to bump into anybody. I can't see over your shoulder."

Starfire dropped her eyes. "My apologies."

Robin shook his head in mild annoyance. "I finally get to be taller than you, and then you go and wear those heels." He glanced down at her feet to see them an inch and a half off the floor. "And you're flying, no less! That's not helping."

"I found very early in the evening that it was simpler to fly and be pulled around by my dance partner than to be constantly stepping on his feet," she explained sheepishly.

Robin smiled devilishly as an idea occurred to him. "It also makes it easier to do this." He gave her shoulder a gentle push but held on to her opposite hand, the result being that she spun away. She squealed in surprise. He tugged on her hand and pulled her back, but was unable to stop her before she collided with him. Robin stopped dancing as he found himself staring into her cleavage again.

Clearing his throat and shaking his head to re-center himself, Robin took a step back. "Put your feet on the floor, Star. I'll teach you the steps."

Starfire smiled and complied. Robin readjusted their hands and demonstrated the six-beat pattern of the Lindy Hop. Starfire quickly mastered it.

"Good!" Robin complimented after a few measures. "Now, just keep doing that, and follow me. I'll tell you if you need to do anything different."

Starfire nodded and Robin began to guide them around the floor.

Starfire turned out to be a very good dancer, flying or not. It took very little direction from Robin to get her to do some more complicated steps; he turned her under his arm several times. Soon, they both were laughing and teasing each other with modified and anticipatory steps. And for a moment – just a moment – Robin forgot he was on a mission, and it was just him and his _**dpi'syr**_ doing what she did best: making him happy.

The band went into an instrumental, and Robin thought he'd dial it up a notch. "Star," he said as the brass heated up. "Let's do a release turn. Remember when I pushed you away?" She nodded. "Let's do that again. Pivot on your right foot away and then back. Got it?"

"I believe so."

"Good." Robin counted out a few beats. "Okay, and...go!" They twisted away from each other, and Robin couldn't help the big grin on his face. When they came back together, her expression mirrored his own, and Robin could actually say he was having a good time.

The band began to wrap the song up, and Robin saw another opportunity for a little fun. He broke his rhythm and began to push her backwards with long steps. "Just follow me and hang on," he told her as she stumbled a bit. She nodded, her smile never wavering.

On the final beat, Robin lowered his arm down to the small of her back and pushed Starfire over into a deep dip, her hair brushing the floor. She squeaked, but came up giggling. "That was most enjoyable!" she told him as they applauded the band.

"I had fun, too," Robin responded. "Thanks, Star."

"Oh, it was most certainly my pleasure! Could we do it again?" she asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

Robin frowned. As much as he wanted to, there was no way he could dance with her all night. He sighed. "Maybe later, Star..." he trailed off as he heard the beginning of the next song.

The song was not terribly well-known; a ballad that was an album track and had never been a hit. Robin was somewhat surprised that it was in the band's repertoire. It had somehow found its way into his MP3 collection, and since onto his "Starfire" playlist; songs that he played when she was around. It had caused a reaction between them early in their relationship and they'd since made love to it quite a few times. It was the closest thing to an "our song" that they had.

He turned to Starfire to find her eyes intense; full of more emotions than he could identify. Something passed between them. It was though their connection, so often refused these past few days, yearned to be acknowledged and would not be denied any longer. Robin's whole body ached for her and a wave of emotion rolled over him, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up and a lump to form in his throat. It would have taken a man stronger than Superman to walk away in that moment.

"Please," she said simply. She kicked off her shoes, sending them skittering under the buffet table. "I shall keep my feet on the floor."

Swallowing hard, unable to say anything, he held his hand out to her. She took it and stepped back into his embrace, standing a bit closer to him this time. Now nearly his height, a bit shorter actually, he was able to really look into her eyes for the first time this evening. The intensity had softened a bit, but she still projected a great..._desire_ was the only word Robin could think of. It wasn't sexual, really. What he saw was a longing for _him_: his heart, his soul. His breath hitched as the singer reached the chorus, a soaring phrase that stirred the same emotions in him that he saw in her eyes. He wished he could take his mask off and let her see.

He spread his gloved fingers over her bare back as they began to sway to the music, his hand tingling from the known silkiness that was there. She inched a bit closer to him, her bosom brushing against his chest as they moved. His entire body shivered at the contact.

Robin's breath grew shallow and he began to feel light-headed as the song's bridge started; this was the part of the song they both liked best. This beautiful angel had literally fallen from the heavens, apparently just to be with him, if her home planet's folktales were to be believed. A part of him still didn't quite believe that, and yet, here she was, dazzling everyone. But he was certain she hadn't looked at anybody else the way she was looking at him now. Ever.

The song crescendoed into the chorus again and Robin moved his hand up to her shoulder, squeezing it. He wanted to pull her to him, to feel her body against his, to kiss her, to meld with her...again, it wasn't strictly sexual. It was much more about showing her how he felt, and letting his emotions flow and tangle with hers. It was taking every bit of his discipline to keep himself from doing so. He closed his eyes and could almost feel her lips against his, as they so often had been during this song. "Starfire," he murmured the object of meditation, almost moaning, his control slipping for a moment.

"Robin?" she questioned. He opened his eyes to see concern added to the rest of the emotions that were already there.

He opened his mouth to reply, but the song ended. As Starfire drew away to applaud the band, Robin caught her hand and pressed his lips to the back, pouring all of his passion onto her soft skin.

"Robin?" she repeated, this time looking bewildered.

He held the affection a moment longer before lowering her hand but not releasing it. "It's um...a way of showing affection in public," he tried to explain. "It doesn't really signify anything other than respect."

Starfire's brows creased.

"It's a very formal way of greeting a lady," he expanded. "I..." He sighed deeply. "Star..."

She squeezed his hand. "Shhh." She took a step closer. _"I understand. I feel it too."_

"_**Koriand'r**_ ..." he slipped into Mandarin. _"You know how I feel."_ His breath was ragged in his chest and his brain was misfiring as he searched for words. _"I promise, when we get home..."_

"Excuse me, but are these yours?"

Both of the young heroes started and Robin turned to find Bruce Wayne standing there, Starfire's shoes dangling from his fingers. Robin quickly dropped her hand. "B...Mr. Wayne!" he squeaked. "Good evening!"

"Robin. Good to see you again," Bruce returned. "This is one of your Titan friends?"

"Yes, this is Starfire," Robin bit out, frustrated. Bruce was putting on a show. And while Robin understood why, and might have even initiated it under different circumstances, Bruce had picked the absolute worst time to start playacting.

"Pleased to meet you," Bruce flashed that charming false smile of his. "I saw you kick these under the buffet table. I thought I'd retrieve them for you."

"I am most grateful for such a favor," Starfire replied, sounding very proper. "I thought it would be easier to dance with Robin if I were closer to his stature," she explained as she reapplied her footwear.

"How considerate of you," Bruce said, that grin never leaving his face. "However, I am several inches taller than our friend here; you could dance with me with your shoes on, if you were so inclined." He held out his hand.

Starfire glanced at Robin, who could feel the rage creeping up the back of his neck. What the hell was Bruce trying to pull now? He didn't say anything, didn't move, couldn't move for fear of making a scene. After a long moment, Starfire took Bruce's hand.

The band had begun a smooth foxtrot and Starfire easily followed Bruce's steps. "Was that Cantonese I heard you speaking?" he asked amicably.

"I do not believe so," she answered. "You may have heard Robin speaking it, however."

"And you understood him?"

"Oh yes! I speak all of the languages that Robin speaks."

Bruce's brow creased. "Really." He didn't sound terribly pleased but the charm quickly came back. "You must be a quick study."

"Robin is an excellent teacher," Starfire answered, glossing over the fact that her people could acquire languages through touch. Something told her Robin would not want Bruce to know that.

"I see," Bruce looked thoughtful. "What else has he taught you?"

Starfire smirked, seeing an opening to talk Robin up a bit to the mentor he seemed so worried about impressing. "Oh, many things! Combat techniques. How to make an omelet. How to pitch a tent. Why, just a few moments ago, he taught me how to dance without flying!" She paused, trying to gauge the look on Bruce's face. "I could continue."

"No, I think I get the picture," he replied, his smile fading a little. "Have you taught him anything?"

Some very intimate things flashed through Starfire's head as she pondered the question. Knowing Robin wouldn't like it if she said anything like that, she started at the same place she had before. "Okaaran battle techniques." She paused, thinking. "The proper way to tie a _**ofdjo'omd**_ knot." She paused again, unable to think of anything else. "I am certain there are other things. But Robin has been most helpful in my education about my new home. I have learned much more from him than he from me."

"And why did you come here?" The smirk was gone; he was in detective mode now. She'd heard the same inflection in Robin's voice.

"It...is a long story," she began slowly. "It has to do with the royal politics of my world. I would rather not speak of it."

Bruce's grin had turn into a grim frown. "You're not a fugitive, are you?"

Starfire returned his frown. "No. No longer. I have chosen to stay on Earth."

"Because of Robin?"

"Yes," she answered truthfully. But she could tell he was fishing for information and elaborated: "And because of Cyborg and Beast Boy and Raven and all of my other friends. They are much more my family than my blood relations ever were." That was the truth, too.

"Does Robin know why you fled?"

Starfire raised her chin in defiance. "Robin knows what is pertinent."

Bruce's lips became a thin line and his brows creased. "I can respect the need to keep secrets, Princess, I keep enough of my own, but if your secrets pose a threat to Robin – or anyone else for that matter – you will not find me on your side, do you understand?"

"I do. And you need to understand this:" Starfire stopped dancing and put her hands on her hips. "Robin is a brave leader and a kind friend, and it is _your_ secrets that are the biggest threat to him: to his happiness and his ability to live a complete life. I pity you." She turned and strode away, intent on finding Robin.

* * *

Oh man, was there a lot of work on this chapter! Writing and re-writing and editing and changing ideas... I am so glad it's finally out there, though. The idea with Robin & Starfire dancing was what finally convinced me to write this story. I'd been toying with some of the ideas for it while I was finishing up _Falling_, but once I got this one, it was like they all fell in order and there was no way I could _not_ write it.

Not that it didn't change at all, it really did, especially the first dance. It started out as a tango, with the two of them being rather silly and showing each other up. There were a couple of things wrong with it, the biggest being that the tango is a very sensual dance, and that's not what I was after in that scene. That, and it can be pretty complicated; it's not something you can just show somebody the steps to and be doing thirty seconds later. Granted, the Lindy can be pretty complex too, but it does have a basic set of steps that can be picked up pretty quickly. And the Lindy's just fun; that's really what I was after.

I did have another idea for that that _almost_ made it in. I was driving home not too long ago and flipped over to the local oldies station when Van Morrison's _Moondance_ came on. It was a song I knew from Michael Feinstein's recording of it. (Hit my author page for a link to the Amazon page where you can preview it (and download for a small fee, if you're so inclined.)) And I thought, "this is perfect! It's exactly the style of song I need!" I went so far as to put the lyrics to the second verse into the text. They start: "_Well, I want to make love to you tonight / I can't wait till the morning has come."_ The whole song is about that and is full of euphemisms for having sex; in a very classy way, mind you. I had the whole scene sketched out, with Robin trying to control his lust for Starfire interwoven with the lyrics. But the more I worked with it, the less I liked it. It wasn't supposed to be about that; it was supposed to be about the two of them enjoying each others' company.

And, it left me in a pickle. If I was going to use the lyrics to the first song, I should probably do the same for the second, right? Except, the lyrics for the song that I had in my head for that one, Jim Brickman's _What We Believe In_ (ditto for the link), don't match the situation. That song is about somebody who's lost their love. It was the melody that had inspired me, not the words. I tried some different songs, but none of them really worked. That, and I'm just not really a fan of songfic. I totally understand being inspired by a song – this chapter is a good example – and I'm a huge musical fan, but...it just doesn't seem to work in print, especially if you're not familiar with the song. So I went back to generic descriptions.

Starfire dancing with the mayor is a revision of a very early idea I had. Initially, Bruce was supposed to flirt with Starfire throughout the story, not knowing she was Dick's girl. But that was at the very beginning of my thought process, long before I really figured out who "my" Bruce was going to be. Once I decided that he was going to be this über-stoic SOB (at least in Robin's eyes), that didn't work anymore. But I really liked the idea, so I invented this mayor guy.

As for Raven's tattoo, she actually has it in the comics. I decided to give it to her here if for no other reason than to give BB some leverage over her for once. We'll have to see how that plays out!

And Starfire giving Bruce what for at the end is also a revision of Bruce flirting with her. I really had some problems with that scene; I knew I wanted Bruce to threaten her, but I wasn't really sure for what. The whole "I pity you" thing totally came out of nowhere, but I really like it. I can see how I'll use it in the future...

And there's a little bit about Starfire's past in there too. A few have asked questions, like what about her parents and stuff. It's not really going to come up in this story again...but will be a major part of _Falling III_, if I ever get that all sorted out. I know what I want to happen in it, but there's lots of holes in my outline for it. That, and we're only about halfway through this one, so....I haven't worked out exactly what I want for "my" Starfire in the _Falling_ universe (wow, I invented a universe...didn't intend that!), but it will be very much based on what happened to her in the comics, so if you know that, you're in the ballpark.

So, that's like the longest author's note I've ever written...make the muse happy and write equally long reviews! More party stuff coming up – she needs all the help she can get!


	17. Scenes from the Party, Part III

_Teen Titans belongs to DC Comics. They're invited to the party, but I'm pretty sure they won't come..._

_Chapter 17: Scenes from the Party Part III_

by Lelila

Starfire stormed away from Bruce, not even bothering to look where she was going for the first few steps. Once she'd come to her senses enough to realize she was looking for Robin, she couldn't find him. She finally spotted him several minutes later up on the mezzanine overlooking the space. A microphone was being set up, and several people, including Robin, were lining up as though something official was starting.

Sure enough, a few moments later the mayor stepped up to the microphone. "Excuse me," his voice sounded through the speakers. "May I have your attention, please." The crowd began to quiet down.

The mayor flashed that toothy grin that Starfire had seen when he'd danced with her. "Welcome, citizens of Gotham City. You are our elite, the movers and shakers, the ones that get things done. You are the lifeblood of Gotham. That's why you were invited tonight. And it is my pleasure to introduce your host, a major organ in the organism that is Gotham City: Alfredo Hemiola."

The party-goers applauded enthusiastically as a portly gentleman came forward, shook the mayor's hand and stepped up to the microphone.

"Thank you so very much, Mayor Howard," the man oozed. This must be Fredo, Starfire thought, the reason they were here. "And thank all of you for attending my 'coming out' party, as it were." He paused and looked over the crowd. "Now, over the years, there have been a lot of rumors about me. Most of them have been blatantly false," he frowned, "but, alas, I must admit, some of them have been true. My desire to take advantage of the American dream has sometimes led me and my associates to make some unethical deals. Despite all intentions otherwise, people have occasionally gotten hurt. But after the loss of my beloved sister," he paused, crossing himself. "May she rest in peace."

Starfire heard many in the crowd repeat "May she rest in peace," and glanced around to see them crossing themselves as well. Looking back up at Robin, she saw him sketch out the motions also, and decided to do her best to copy him. She fumbled through it briefly and looked around to see how she had done, but everyone had gone back to listening to Fredo. She made a note to ask Robin about it later.

"Her loss," Fredo was saying, "made me look at things in a new light. The people I was taking advantage of were actually people, not just figures in a ledger. And they could feel pain just like the pain I felt when I lost my sister. I could not be a party to that anymore. So, from now on, everything will be above-board. There will be no more back-room or under-the-table deals. When you deal with Alfredo Hemiola, you deal with an honest businessman!"

The party-goers clapped and shouted energetically.

"And as a show of good faith," Fredo went on, "I want to return to the city something that was taken under my watch. Jimmy."

A wiry man whose suit looked about two sizes too big came forward carrying a box about the size and breadth of Cyborg's arm. Fredo pulled the front off of it to reveal a carved piece of wood featuring several stylized depictions of animals. On the top was the striking figure of a bat, its wings outstretched, its teeth bared, its claws open as if it were ready to grab its prey.

"This is the Miagani Totem of Power," Fredo continued. "Legend has it that the original inhabitants of Gothem Island, the Miagani Indians, were given this item by their gods, and that whoever possesses it will be the most powerful person on the island. It rightfully belongs to the city. Batman and Robin did their best to keep my associates from taking it. And Robin, who has been kind enough to come home to Gotham specifically for this party," he gestured off to his left where Robin stood, "proved himself to be the bigger man that night, even though he is a bit on the short side." This brought a ripple of laughter, though Starfire saw Robin frown.

"He chose to save an innocent bystander rather than an inanimate object. So tonight, I'm going to undo what was done, and let Robin finish what he started." He waved Robin up. "Thank you for being here, Robin."

Robin nodded and accepted the totem with a small but firm smile.

"Say a few words, my boy!" Fredo slapped Robin's back. Robin stumbled a few steps up to the microphone, struggling with the totem. "Um, well, I'm all too happy to come and witness your turning over a new leaf, Fredo. If, of course, that's really what's going on here." That drew a disappointed groan from the crowd. Several boos were heard. "It's my job to be skeptical," Robin retorted. "As such, while I will be happy to return this to the city, I'm sure you'll understand if I take a look at it first."

This drew more boos, but Fredo stepped back to the microphone and hushed the crowd. "Now, now, the boy's just doing his job! Look all you like, Robin, I'm sure you'll find nothing wrong with that totem!"

"I sincerely hope you're right," Robin added. "Just know that if this is a trick, I'll be in Gotham until I see you brought to justice."

The months that Robin had spent locked in his room obsessing over Slade flashed through Starfire's head. A shiver ran down her spine. This man had already forced she and her _**Dpi'syr**_ apart for too long. If his misrepresentations kept them separate any longer than necessary, he would pay.

"Now, now, my boy, there's no need for empty threats." Fredo patted Robin's shoulder and pulled him away from the microphone. "You'll see...you'll all see. This party is just the first of many generous gifts I have for this city. Now...I'm sure if I talk too much longer, we'll all fall asleep. Back to the merrymaking!"

The crowd applauded enthusiastically again and started to break up a little. Starfire saw Robin hand the totem to Raven, who disappeared into an alcove. Starfire watched curiously as Robin stood just barely within eyesight.

"I'm not sure standing there ogling Robin is the world's greatest idea," Cyborg's voice sounded softly at her shoulder.

"Oh! Cyborg!" Starfire jumped. "I did not see you there. And I was not ogling...I was merely observing."

"Uh huh," Cyborg smirked.

Starfire smiled patiently, realizing her friend was only teasing. "Raven has taken the totem back to the Batcave?"

Cyborg nodded as the music started again. "So, Little Lady, you wanna dance?"

Starfire's smile widened.

TtTtTtT

The rest of the party was fairly uneventful. Beast Boy asked Raven to dance several more times, but she always said no. She said no to almost everyone, save for a couple of shady-looking characters who she thought she might get some information from. She had very little luck, but made note of a few details to mention to Robin.

Despite being rejected by Raven, Beast Boy had a good time overall. He proved fairly popular with the younger women, and his often-quoted "Chicks dig the ears!" did seem to be true, for tonight at least. He also had a good time with Barbara; she seemed to appreciate his sense of humor and wasn't above making a few jokes herself.

Cyborg really hit it off with Trisha. He danced with her five times, and had to refuse her several more. "I gotta work, Babe!" he told her. She pouted sexily and made sure he had her number.

Robin, for the most part, did _not_ have a good time. There were a few moments here and there, like when he danced with Starfire, but he was so wound up waiting for something to happen that his default mood this evening was grouchy.

As soon as he'd given the totem to Raven, he started itching for this charade to be over. He did dance with Starfire once more, a jitterbug, which was one of the few moments of great fun. He took her for a drink afterwards and had to hold on to the bar to keep himself from decking some half-drunk guy who hit on her.

Starfire turned out to be the hit of the party. Many of the men danced with her and she welcomed all comers in that sweet way of hers. She, like Raven, learned very little from her dance partners, but did her best to remember things that seemed of interest.

It was nearly 2:00 am before things began to wind down. Robin remarked he was surprised things didn't go longer as they piled back into the limo.

"Shouldn't we stay until Fredo leaves?" Raven asked.

"Batman's got that covered," Robin replied tersely.

As Alfred parked the car outside the hotel where he'd picked them up, he told them: "Batman has requested a debriefing as soon as he returns."

"Thanks, Alfred," Robin grumbled. "Come on, Team."

Cyborg stretched as he got out of the car. "No rest for the righteous."

The trip back through the Batcave was fairly quiet; they were all tired. "I hope Batman comes back soon," Beast Boy said through a yawn as they arrived in the main chamber.

Robin stuffed his gloves into his jacket pocket and yanked his tie undone as he punched the button on the elevator. "It could be dawn."

Beast Boy groaned.

Starfire, really rather tired and not terribly alert, found herself fascinated as Robin undid the top couple of buttons on his shirt. He had been extremely attractive tonight, if not terribly happy. She wanted nothing more than to cheer him up, not to mention hug him and kiss that bit of skin he was exposing. She squeezed his hand as they went up in the elevator and managed to get a small smile out of him.

Alfred met them in the sitting room that the clock opened up to. "I thought you might like some hot cocoa to help you relax."

"Thanks, Alfred," Robin said somewhat unenthusiastically. He pulled his jacket off and tossed it over the back of a chair. "Any word from Batman?"

"Indeed," Alfred answered. "He has followed Fredo to his penthouse, but has observed nothing suspicious. He is going to do a patrol of the area and will then return. I expect him back shortly."

"Do we have time to change?" Raven asked.

"I wouldn't," Robin answered her, dropping into one of the sofas. "He'll want to start the briefing as soon as he gets here. He'll be pretty pissed if he has to wait for somebody to rinse out their stockings."

Raven looked a bit disappointed and stepped out of her shoes before perching on the edge of an armchair and taking a cup of cocoa.

Starfire settled into the sofa next to Robin, shifting a bit so that the beads on her dress weren't poking into her. She also took a cup of cocoa and sipped at it, stealing a glance at Robin. His chin was set in such a way that she could tell that he was not happy. Still, with his jacket off, there was something about the way his shoulders filled his shirt that was driving her to distraction. She knew she should look away...she was liable to do something that she knew Robin wouldn't want Batman to see if she didn't. Still, here he was, all business, grouchy even, and yet he was so...masculine. It was making her insides quiver.

"So Cy, who was that girl I saw you with?" Beast Boy snooped, interrupting Starfire's thoughts.

"What girl?" Cyborg feigned ignorance.

"You know...the one in the yellow dress."

"I dunno...my eye can't see yellow," Cyborg smirked.

"I thought it was certain shades of blue you couldn't see," Raven interjected.

Beast Boy howled. "Ha ha! Busted!"

Cyborg rolled his real eye. "Okay, okay. Her name is Trisha. She seems really great."

"You gonna keep in touch?" Beast Boy asked.

"I got her number," Cyborg grinned.

"Alright!" Beast Boy pumped his fist.

"Just be careful what you tell her," Robin grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, secret identity and all that," Cyborg dismissed. "Jeeze, Rob, gimme some credit."

Robin sneered. "We've been over this."

"Then why are you bringin' it up?" Cyborg challenged. "Or is there some new rule about only dating team members?"

"Cyborg!"

"Sorry Cyborg," Raven droned. "I'm just not that into you."

"Raven!" Robin growled.

"Friends please!" Starfire broke in. "It has been a long evening and we are all fatigued. Bickering amongst ourselves is not conducive to our goal. Let us partake of these beverages that Alfred was so kind to prepare for us, and speak pleasantly of our experiences until the Batman arrives."

"The Little Lady's right," Cyborg agreed after a few tense moments. "This isn't the time for this."

Robin took a long pull of his cocoa and looked away.

They sat in awkward silence for several minutes. Starfire was about to tell about stepping on the mayor's foot when Alfred re-entered the room. "Batman is entering the Batcave. May I suggest you join him there?"

TtTtTtT

Robin grabbed his jacket and headed for the clock. "Don't bother," Raven said from behind him. A few moments and a vortex later the entire team was in the Batcave. Five folding chairs had been set up in an arc in front of the main computer.

"It occurred to me that there are not many chairs in the Batcave," Alfred said from the elevator.

Robin favored Alfred with an exhausted smile and draped his jacket over the back of one of them.

At that moment, the Batmobile roared into the space and Batman emerged. "Well, Titans," he said as he strode towards them. "What have we learned?"

They began to recount their experiences of the evening, being directed quite often by Batman with pointed questions. For over an hour they discussed things, and Batman entered few things into his computer, but ultimately, the only real conclusion they were able to draw was that in general the citizens of Gotham City were as confused by this new turn of events as Batman and Robin were. They hadn't gathered any real information as to _why_ this was happening, although everyone agreed that the story Fredo had told about his sister was a load of garbage. Finally Batman pulled up pictures of some of the major players on the computer and began entering information under each of them. He and Robin exchanged some thoughts, and Batman began thinking out loud. He wasn't making much progress and looked over his shoulder to question his young partners only to find that Robin was the only one that was really paying attention. He trailed off, frowning. "But, it has been a long night. Let's get some rest and we'll go over it again in the morning." He turned back to the computer and put it back into secure standby mode before slinking off into the shadows, presumably to somewhere else in the manor.

Robin looked at his teammates, initially with an anger that they weren't taking this seriously that quickly evaporated as his own exhaustion began to overtake him. "He's right," he said begrudgingly. "Let's go get some sleep." He pushed to his feet, stretching, seeing Raven do the same out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh, Robin?" Beast Boy sounded a bit nervous. Robin turned to see him trapped by Starfire, who had fallen asleep against his shoulder.

"Um..." Robin hedged. His first instinct was to simply scoop her up and carry her off to her room. He did that often enough on movie nights at the Tower. But he also knew if she woke up even a little, she'd start cuddling and kissing him, and this was not the time or place.

"I got 'er," Cyborg spoke up, gathering the slumbering alien into his arms and heading towards the lift. A small attachment extended from his arm to push the call button.

Beast Boy yawned noisily. "Wake me up when the elevator comes back."

"Come on, Beast Boy," Robin ordered. "We're hoofin' it."

Beast Boy groaned, but trudged after Robin as the Titan leader strode towards the stairs. He glanced over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Raven's outline as she finished disappearing. Beast Boy shuddered. "That's so freaky."

Robin pulled his jacket from the back of his chair and tossed it over his arm, continuing on towards the stairs without waiting for Beast Boy. The changeling turned into a mouse in an effort to catch up. He scampered up Robin's leg and crawled into his coat pocket.

"Ach...Beast Boy!" Robin protested more out of surprise than anything else. Beast Boy poked his nose out and twitched his whiskers, doing his best to look cute. Robin just shook his head and continued up the stairs.

The Titans arrived at the entrance to the Guest Wing at approximately the same time. All except Raven, anyway, who was waiting for them.

"Where's Beast Boy?" she asked.

Robin fished around in the pocket of his coat and came up with the wiggling green mouse. Beast Boy hopped to the floor and resumed his human shape. "Heh, guess I could morph in these clothes!"

Robin hissed a shush at him as Starfire murmured something unintelligible, shifting in Cyborg's arms.

"She really needs to take that dress off before she goes to bed," Raven said softly. "She'll ruin the beading if she sleeps in it."

All eyes swiveled to Robin. Under normal circumstances, he would be more than happy to relieve Starfire of her clothing, even if it was only to put her to bed. But being here, and with all the security...

"Um...Raven...could you...?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Oh Azar, why don't we just wake her up?" She placed her hand on Starfire's arm and muttered a couple of words. Starfire's eyes flickered open. "Raven?" she asked sleepily. "Cyborg?"

"It's okay, Star," Robin chimed in as Cyborg placed her gently on her feet. "You just fell asleep."

Robin had to swallow hard as she collected herself. Her eyes heavy with wanted sleep, she was a bit unsteady on her feet as she pushed her mussed hair over her shoulder. She was adorable. Robin had to press his heels into the carpeting to keep himself from scooping her up and taking her off to bed.

"We are retiring?" Starfire asked, her voice still laced with sleep. "What of the briefing?"

"We're going to go over it in the morning," Robin answered. "We're all tired."

"Oh...very well," she acknowledged around a yawn. Lazily, she lifted a few inches from the floor and floated off towards her room. "Pleasant _**shlorvaks**_, Friends."

"'Night, Star," the others chorused.

Robin watched her until she disappeared behind her door. He stood transfixed until Cyborg wandered through his field of vision. "Pleasant _**shlorvaks**_, Robin," he teased.

"You too," Robin replied absently before coming to his senses and scowling at Cyborg. Cyborg chuckled as he entered his room.

Robin growled to himself as he headed into his own room, pausing long enough to cast a glance back at Starfire's door.

* * *

So, yeah...I'm sorry this took so long. It just did not want to come out. I will be the first to say that I'm a character writer and this was plot...plot! Ugh! My muse hates writing plot. Unfortunately, it had to be done. So after weeks of toying with it, here it is. I'm not overtly happy with it, but at this point I'm just happy to get it out and move on.

The good news is that a big chunk of the next chapter is already written, so that will hopefully go up much sooner.

Write many loving, prodding reviews and maybe the muse will work harder next time...


	18. A Night and Morning at Wayne Manor

_Teen Titans belong to DC and its licensees. I don't have money to be one. But, I'm not makin' any either, so...._

_Chapter 18: A Night and Morning at Wayne Manor_

by Lelila

Exhausted due to the hour and much more from the state of tension he'd been in all night, Robin collapsed onto his bed as soon as he entered his room. For several minutes he lay there, face down, feeling his muscles slowly relax. His head still buried in his pillows, he kicked off his shoes, hearing them thud against the carpeted floor. Heaving a mighty sigh, he pushed himself into a kneeling position and began to unbutton his shirt. Falling back onto his behind, he untangled his legs and slid onto the floor, deftly avoiding his shoes. Too tired to hang his clothes up properly, he tossed them over the chair, mask included. Clad only in his boxers, he went to the bathroom and splashed some water over his face. Heading back to bed, he snapped off the light and crawled under the covers, dropping into the pillows again.

He rolled onto his back, attempting to get more comfortable. Realizing how tense he still was, he worked his shoulders and tried to clear his mind. He took a few deep breaths; usually that's all he needed. But tonight, it wasn't working. Tonight, all he could think of was Starfire: how gorgeous she'd looked, how jealous he'd been of everyone that danced with her, how he'd wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms kiss her.

God, she'd been beautiful tonight. She always was, and Robin was known to just sit and stare at her now and again (the mask hid a lot), but tonight...she was breathtaking. Every time he saw her, he got distracted. And the few moments he'd let himself truly be with her were the only times tonight he'd been anywhere near relaxed or had had anything resembling a good time.

Still uncomfortable, he rolled up onto his side, his arm falling over the bed's other pillow. Just the position was familiar, lying with his arm around something, and he relaxed a little without trying.

His eyes snapped open. He wasn't going to be able to stop thinking about her. He'd slept without her for four of the last seven nights, but his body expected her to be there, and tonight just cuddling his pillow wasn't going to be enough. Not after the way she'd looked; not after what he'd seen in her eyes when they'd danced together.

Tossing off the covers and not bothering with a robe, Robin went to the door and poked his head out. The hallway was empty.

Slipping out of his room and silently shutting his door, he crept along the hall near the wall, silent as a ghost, keeping to the shadows. He passed Cyborg's room and dashed across the hall in two quick bounds. He eased Starfire's door open as quietly as possible, the only sound being the soft **snick** of the bolt against the strikeplate. He ducked inside and closed the door just as quietly.

He turned to the bed, and felt his breath leave him as he caught sight of Starfire in the low light. Her hair was still a mass of curls and he could still see traces of make-up on her face. She lay at something of an odd angle, sort of on her side, sort of on her back, with her face turned into the pillow. But, considering the fact that she used to sleep with her feet on the pillows and her head at the foot of the bed, Robin didn't think too much of it.

No, what struck him was the fact that her shoulder and neck were exposed, especially the graceful curve where they met. This was a place Starfire almost always kept covered ("It is a vulnerable area," she had explained.), and he quickly became enamored with the spot when he started seeing it on a regular basis. He'd wanted to kiss her there tonight since the moment he'd seen her in that plunging neckline.

Drawn to her like a moth to a flame, Robin sank onto the bed and softly pressed his lips to the base of her neck…

Starfire started from her sleep and whipped her arm around to strike at her "attacker." Robin caught her wrist, pushed her onto her back, and seared his lips to hers.

It took Starfire a moment to realize what was happening and who was there, but when she did, she threw her free arm around her _**Dpi'syr **_and pulled him close, deepening the kiss.

"Robin? What are you…doing here?" she asked as Robin continued to pull kisses from her lips.

"I couldn't sleep." Kiss. "The bed felt…" Kiss. "…too empty…" Kiss. "…without you." Kiss.

Starfire smiled against his lips. "My bed…" Kiss. "…has also felt…" Kiss. "…vacant…" Kiss. "…without your presence." Kiss. "But what of..." Kiss. "...the cameras?"

Robin paused, pulling back a bit. "We'll deal with it if it becomes an issue," he sighed. "For right now..." He pushed the thought aside and kissed her again, quickly regaining his passion.

"Do you wish to…" Kiss. "..._**xioykrw**__?_" Kiss.

Robin's entire body flushed at the Tameranian word for 'making love.' "Yes," he said emphatically before sealing their lips together for a particularly passionate kiss. "But," he continued, still dragging his lips over hers, pausing every few words to pull a kiss from them, "we shouldn't." He felt Starfire's lips frown against his. "We'll…lose track of time." Kiss. "And…you can be a little noisy." Kiss. "We...need to be...quiet."

Starfire's lips twisted in confusion. "You also make sounds…during…_**xioykrw**_**.**" Kiss.

It was Robin's turn to smile. "Not like you do." Kiss. He felt Starfire's lips turn down again. "It's okay." Kiss. "I like it." Kiss. "It turns me on," he indulged before pressing in for a firmer kiss. "But the walls on this floor…are thin. Not like…Titan's Tower. We could…wake someone." More kissing.

"Then…it is best…that we…do the sleeping…yes?" Starfire asked around several kisses.

"Mmm-hmm," Robin hummed against her lips.

"Then…please join me…underneath…the coverings." Kiss kiss kiss.

Loathe to pull himself away for even the few moments it would take to crawl beneath the bedclothes, Robin lowered his head to kiss Starfire deeply. She responded in kind, running her fingers through his hair. He was seriously reconsidering his 'sleep only' decision as their lips parted and he opened his eyes fully for the first time since he'd sat on the bed. Even in the dim light, he could see the color in Starfire's cheeks had risen and her lips were slightly swollen. Robin felt his body flush again, and with the blood rushing away from his brain, he knew he needed to touch more than just her lips. He slipped from the bed, his eyes never leaving hers, and slid beneath the covers. Starfire turned on her side and welcomed Robin into her arms. He ran his fingers up her side and splayed them over her back, pressing the full length of his body to hers. He hovered his lips over hers, inhaling her intoxicating scent and nuzzling her nose before kissing her yet again, nibbling on her lower lip. Starfire slipped her leg over his hips and pulled him ever closer.

"Do you still wish…to merely…do the sleeping?" Starfire asked between kisses.

"No," he admitted before running the tip of his tongue along her top lip. "But…we should…probably…" he trailed off as Starfire pushed her tongue into his mouth.

"Then perhaps…one of us…should roll over…and we should…do the spooning," Starfire suggested as she continued to kiss him.

"Good…idea."

After a few more kisses, Starfire began to pull away. "I shall do the rolling over," she whispered.

"No, wait!" Robin gripped her arm, stopping her. "I think, ahem, maybe I should." He wiggled his hips against hers to illustrate why.

Starfire giggled that wonderful little laugh of hers. "Oh! Very well." She pulled her leg back and kissed him softly. "Good night, Robin."

He returned the affection. "Good night, Starfire," he whispered, and kissed her again. He frowned and forced himself to roll over. He was soon somewhat relieved when he felt Starfire press herself to his back and put an arm around him. He took her hand in his and was finally able to go to sleep.

TtTtTtT

Starfire was vaguely surprised to find herself facing Robin when she awoke; they usually woke up more or less in the same position they'd gone to sleep in. But she wasn't bothered by it, and took the opportunity to softly press her lips to his.

Robin stirred. "Good morning, Robin," Starfire whispered.

"'Mornin'," he mumbled back, without opening his eyes.

"How are you this morning?"

Robin half-opened one blue eye to look at her. "Ask me again when I'm awake." The eye drifted lazily closed but almost immediately flew back open, joined by its mate.

"What time is it?" he asked desperately, craning his neck to find the clock in the room. "8:30?!" Swearing in several languages, Robin threw off the covers and rolled out of bed.

"Robin! You know I do not like such language." She sat up and crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry, Star, but I really should have been out of here before the sun came up." He leaned over the bed to kiss her.

"I still do not understand why we simply do not tell the Batman about our relationship," Starfire frowned before Robin's lips found their target.

Robin sighed and rest his forehead against hers. "I've explained that, Star. He wouldn't approve."

"Why do you need his approval? You have your own team; with your inheritance you are not beholden to him for anything. Can you not simply disagree with him on this one point?"

"It's not that simple." Robin reached up to cup her cheek. "Look, we'll talk about this later, okay? I really need to go."

"Hmmph!" Starfire closed her eyes and looked away in disapproval.

"Star…" Robin pleaded, turning her head back to look into his eyes.

"If you must," she groused.

"Thank you," he whispered, brushing his lips across hers before taking the few steps toward the door. He put his hand on the knob, stopped, and turned around. "Wait…I need you to see if the coast is clear."

Starfire looked at him incredulously. After a moment of him begging her with his eyes and her glaring at him, she finally relented. "Oh, very well," she muttered, and crossed to the door, which he opened for her. "There is no one in the hallway," she reported a moment later.

"Okay, I gotta go," Robin whispered, moving around to exit. He kissed her quickly. "I'll see you at breakfast. Don't be mad." He watched her shake her head as he closed the door behind him.

He turned around and had taken one step back towards his own room when Alfred rounded the corner.

"Good morning, Master Robin," he greeted.

"Uh…'mornin', Alfred," Robin replied, suddenly very aware of the fact that he was standing in front of Starfire's door in his underwear. His brain scrambled for an explanation. "Uh...this looks really bad, doesn't it?" Before Alfred could respond, Robin plowed on. "It's not what it looks like! All we did was sleep! Mostly...We kept our clothes on!" Robin froze as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He'd said that out loud? Now he _really_ hoped Bruce didn't review these recordings.

"Indeed," Alfred started and then paused, obviously gathering his thoughts. He drew an audible breath and then said: "I meant what I said about a gentleman's affairs being his own business, but that is only true when he keeps them discreet. Room-hopping like some over-sexed fraternity member is far from discreet."

Robin hung his head, suddenly feeling like a twelve-year-old that hadn't cleaned his room. "You're right, Alfred. I'm sorry."

Alfred was silent a moment and the two of them regarded each other. "Just...behave yourselves while you're here, please. I have no desire to lie to Master Bruce."

Robin relaxed a little. "I wouldn't ask you to do that, Alfred. Thanks." He paused. "Um...why are you here?"

"I've come to inform you – and your friends – that breakfast will be ready at 9:00 am."

"Oh. Thanks. I'll go get dressed." Robin took several steps towards his room.

"Robin."

Robin stopped in his tracks, surprised not to hear the ever-present "Master" in front of his name. He turned back to Alfred, blinking his curiosity at the lapse.

"Dick," Alfred's tone was lower, more friendly than proper. "You are being responsible with the girl, I hope."

A flush of embarrassment ran through Robin, but all he could do was smile. Leave it to Alfred to get to the heart of the matter in the most gentle way. "Yes, Alfred," he replied. "Very responsible."

Alfred returned the smile. "Good. I'm glad to hear it." He gestured to Starfire's door. "Is Her Highness properly dressed?"

"She should be." Robin lowered his voice. "I told you we didn't do anything."

Alfred just smiled knowingly and tapped on the door. "Princess Starfire? Are you awake?"

Starfire appeared in a crack in the door, her pajamas rumpled and her hair tousled. "Yes, Friend Alfred?"

Robin smiled as unflappable Alfred calmly informed her of breakfast time. He slipped silently back into his room, hoping to avoid any more unexpected meetings this morning.

TtTtTtT

Robin arrived in the dining room to find Cyborg examining the morning paper. The main section lay on the table as Cyborg seemed fascinated by the Life section. A large picture of Robin kissing Starfire's hand graced the front of it. He felt his eyes go wide behind his mask.

Snatching the paper from his mechanical friend, he sputtered: "What the hell is this?!"

"The entire section is dedicated to the party, man," Cyborg replied. "And there are several stories about you." He smirked.

Robin held the paper with trembling hands, staring at the picture on the front. Starfire had a bit of a perplexed look on her face and he appeared as though he were hanging on to her hand for dear life. He opened the paper to see himself with his arm around Starfire and several other smaller pictures of him dancing with other girls. "**Boy Wonder: Lady Killer?"** the headline read.

"My favorite one is the one that speculates about who you went home with," Cyborg teased.

Robin frantically began to read:

_Our own Boy Wonder has proven that he is a boy no longer. He was quite well-spoken when pushed to the microphone by the party's host. But perhaps more interesting are his dance partners for the evening. Aside from both of his female teammates, he also spun the Police Commissioner's daughter, Barbara Gordan, around the floor as well as most of Gotham's socialites. He seemed most comfortable with alien teammate Starfire, displaying some of his best moves with her. He also seemed to be friendliest with her, going so far as to kiss her hand at one point. She was also the only girl he danced with more than once. _

_The entire team arrived and left together, but one wonders what happened once they made it back to the Bat Cave._

Trying to hold back a scream and only partially succeeding, Robin wadded up the paper. "Bruce _cannot_ see this!" he growled.

"It's gossip, man!" Cyborg pointed out. "You really think Bruce is gonna pay attention to it? It's not like there isn't any gossip about him."

"It's still going to point him in the right direction," Robin hissed. "Every clue is worth considering!"

"What clue is that?" Bruce appeared from nowhere.

"Ah..." Robin quickly dropped the paper and kicked it beneath the table. "Observations the press made about last night."

"Really? What did they say?" Bruce reached for the front section of the paper, still lying on the table.

Robin pounced first. "Nothing of any real importance." He tried hard to make himself sound firm and decisive.

Bruce frowned. "Dick, you just said any small thing can be important. Let me see that."

Robin sneered, but handed the paper over. He did his best to seem recalcitrant, but he was actually quite nervous, especially since he didn't actually know what was in that section.

The main headline read: **"Fredo Vows Honesty."** Bruce read silently for a few moments and then muttered "Interesting..." He flipped the paper over and scanned it before turning it over in his hands. "Where's the Life section? It says there's more on the party there."

Robin looked at Cyborg. Cyborg shrugged. "Paperboy musta dropped it," Cyborg suggested.

Bruce frowned. "I'll have to look it up online, then. "I'm going to chase down this lead. You and your friends meet me in the Batcave after breakfast and we'll continue the briefing."

Robin nodded, clenching his jaw. He stood his ground as Bruce left the room, but then sank into a chair, his head falling into his hands. "I'm dead."

* * *

This sound familiar? This is the baby that started it all: _A Night at Wayne Manor._ I entirely rewrote the beginning and tweaked the rest of it to make it match up with the rest of the story, and of course the bit in the dining room is totally new. That didn't come out like the way I originally thought it up; I had a lot more ideas about articles in the paper, but when I sat down to write it up, I forgot most of it. ARGGG! Maybe if I remember it, I'll put it up with the cut scenes....

The next couple of weeks are going to be extremely busy, so I don't know how much work I'm going to get done. Make with the reviews...they make the muse prod me harder!


	19. Reviewing the Situation

_Teen Titans and Batman belong to DC Comics, not to me. Don't bother to sue...I have nothing except some good ideas._

_Chapter 19: Reviewing the Situation_

by Lelila

The morning briefing was largely a retread of the previous evening's, though it went much more smoothly as everyone had gotten some sleep. The only conclusion they could draw initially was that **_if_** Fredo was up to something, nobody was talking. He seemed to be on the level. But the more they talked, the more cracks in his story began to show.

"Let me guess," Cyborg said as the topic of Fredo's remarks came up. "He doesn't have a sister."

"No, he has a sister," Batman replied. "But she's alive and well in a retirement community in Passaic."

"What about the totem?" Robin asked. "I didn't get a good look at it last night."

"I didn't spend much time with it either, but it doesn't feel ancient," Raven added. "If it has any magic attached to it, I wasn't able to really sense it."

"My initial test on the paint show that it can't be more than fifty years old," Batman responded. "The carbon dating tests will be done later today."

"Dude, you've got a carbon-dating machine?" Cyborg asked in disbelief.

"At Wayne Corp," Robin answered for Batman, sounding bored.

"But why would Fredo give us a fake totem?" Beast Boy asked.

"Why would he want to give up all his power as a mob boss?" Batman asked in answer. "He doesn't; that's the point. The real question is: why is he putting on this charade?"

"But we got nuthin' last night," Cyborg reiterated. "How are we gonna find that out?"

"We need to put the word out that we already know," Batman answered cryptically.

"Who's we?" Raven questioned.

"Batman and the Titans," Batman clarified. "I highly doubt them knowing that Bruce Wayne suspects something is going to make a difference."

"But won't our being on to them just drive them further underground?" Cyborg challenged.

"Maybe. But it could also send them scrambling," Batman theorized. "I'm counting on that. Fredo himself is fairly smart, but his thugs could use a few more IQ points."

"Okay, so how are we doing this?" Cyborg pressed. "It's not like Batman can just put an ad in the paper."

"Or can he?" Beast Boy asked, a devilish grin on his face. Everyone stared him down for a moment. "What?"

Batman's displeasure drained from his face as he went on with his plan. "I'm going undercover tonight. The rest of you, along with Barbara, will split into two teams and do some visible patrols. With any luck, we'll scare somebody into talking."

The meeting lapsed into silence.

"Anything else?" Robin asked after a moment, trying not to sound hesitant, even though he was just waiting for the fraternization speech.

Batman paused, and Robin could feel the silence burn in his ears. "I'll have to ponder the teams," Batman finally said. "Stay in the Manor, but otherwise the day is yours. I suggest you use it familiarizing yourselves with Gotham City. Be ready at dusk." He turned back to the computer, pulling up some camera feeds from the party.

Robin sat stock still. He knew he would be a fool to think he'd gotten away with it. He felt like a thirteen-year-old who'd done something wrong and didn't want his parents to find out. The fact that he was an adult that had been leading his own team for over three years didn't enter his mind.

"Yo, Rob, what's the plan?" Cyborg snapped Robin back to the present.

"Um...light workout in an hour," he babbled. "We'll have a briefing after."

"Another briefing?" Beast Boy whined.

"Yes," Robin barked, coming back into himself. "Gotham isn't our city. You need to know some things."

"I suggest you take a nap," Raven droned as she drifted away. "You'll need to be awake to hear this."

"What?! I was awake for this briefing!"

"Congratulations. But two briefings in one day might be too much for you."

"Hey!"

"Enough you two!" Robin shouted, his stress spilling over. "Raven, go meditate. Beast Boy, Cyborg, go find something to do that will keep you out of trouble. Starfire..." He whipped around, his ire suddenly dissolving as he came to face her.

"Robin?" she prompted.

"Go...make sure Cyborg and Beast Boy behave," he managed after a moment. His desire to reach out and hold her, to let her calm him was making his arms twitch. But Batman was right there; Robin knew better than to think he'd be so engrossed by the party footage that he'd miss what was going on.

"If that is what you wish," she replied softly. "Are you...okay?"

Robin heaved a sigh. "Yes. I'm just stressed because of the case."

Starfire looked sympathetic.

"Go relax with Cy and BB," he encouraged.

"And what will you do?"

Robin glanced at Batman and figured the best thing to do was to get it over with. "Confer with Batman."

Starfire's brow furrowed and she didn't say anything for a moment. "Very well," she finally said. She met his gaze briefly and then moved past him, hooking her pinky momentarily through his as she did so.

Robin listened as her footsteps faded behind him and then pulled a deep breath. He squared his shoulders and marched up behind Batman, resolute in not backing down. His love life was none of Bruce's business. "Find anything interesting?"

Batman wiggled his head in a negative manner. "Fredo's up to something, but he's very good at hiding it."

"Is this the only footage you've seen from last night?" Robin asked, fishing for what Bruce might know about Fredo as well as about him and Starfire.

Batman looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Any other feeds," Robin clarified. "Like from the street or...other buildings?"

Again Batman's head wiggled. "The Gotham Opera House's security is surprisingly tight. There are ten different cameras. I've only made it through four of them."

Whew. He probably hadn't seen it. "Did you stay up all night?"

"I'll sleep later. Before patrol. If you need some more rest, feel free."

Batman probably didn't mean that as an insult, but Robin took it that way. "I work just as long as you do," he growled.

"I'm sure managing a team like that is time-consuming," Batman acknowledged, still looking at the video. "They're all distracting in their own ways."

Starfire's "distractions" flashed through Robin's head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Batman swiveled in his chair. "Just what I said. Why do you think I leave most of the leadership of the Justice League up to Clark and J'onn? Trying to manage personalities is a waste of time. You're to be commended for being able to handle that motley crew."

Motley crew! Robin's anger flared. How dare he insult his team...Wait...did he just compliment him?

"Uh...thanks," he stammered, struggling to hold on to his indignation.

"Um-hmm," Batman grunted before turning back to the screen. "Is there something specific I should be looking for?"

"On the video?" Robin struggled to pull himself back into his contentious mood. Being complimented by Batman had thrown him off balance.

"Of course," Batman's voice was gruff, his annoyance evident.

"Um, no...I just thought a different angle might reveal something we didn't catch last night." _Way to sound like an amateur! _Robin's inner voice berated him.

"You're welcome to go over some of the feeds yourself. The computer in my office hooks into the mainframe."

_Does it, now? _"I just might do that. Thanks, Bruce." He turned to go.

"Was there something else, Dick?" Robin turned back to see Batman looking at him.

He caught his breath. Did Batman suspect and was just giving him a chance to fess up? "No," Robin said firmly, setting his jaw. "I just want to take Fredo down for good."

TtTtTtT

Robin went straight from the Batcave to Bruce's office. It took a little poking and hacking, but he was able to find the previous night's recordings from Starfire's room. As he pondered a way to delete it without Bruce noticing, he couldn't help but watch. It was fairly dark, so he couldn't see much detail; just two figures writhing beneath the covers. He couldn't hear much either; just the mumbling whispers of lovers and the occasional moan and Starfire giggle.

Robin frowned. This looked a lot worse than it actually was. Still, just seeing this made his heart – and other parts of his body – ache. He turned it off as the two of them settled into sleep and proceeded to download some silly videos from the internet to replace the missing footage. He then spent the next 45 minutes reviewing the party footage because, despite his worry about Bruce finding out about he and Starfire, he really did not want anything more than to see Fredo put out of business for good.

Cyborg called him eventually to ask where he was; training was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago. He hastily apologized and hurried down to the Batcave's gym.

The actual workout dissolved into something of a free-for-all sparring match pretty quickly. Robin called a halt and hustled everybody back into the Batcave proper. By that time, Batman had retired and the main terminal was open.

Robin pulled up a map of Gotham City and began to point out the major landmarks and go over the layout of the city. He also talked about the kinds of criminals Gotham had, especially its gangsters. "They're nasty, and they're dangerous, and they won't hesitate to use deadly force," he warned. "So be careful."

After further admonishments to pay attention to himself and Barbara, he ended the briefing by telling them to get some rest; it was going to be another long night.

Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy headed back into the Manor, but Starfire lagged, watching as Robin turned to continue going through the party footage. "Robin, are you not going to rest?" she asked.

"Not now. I need to go over this."

"Surely the Batman will notify us if he saw something of interest."

"Maybe, maybe not," Robin grumped. "He can be very stingy with the info he shares. But that's not the point. If we both do it, we'll have twice as much chance of catching something we didn't last night. Besides," he paused, and then swiveled to look at her. "The sooner we catch this guy, the sooner we can go home."

Starfire pressed her lips together and nodded her understanding. "I shall leave you to your research. Please promise me you will get some rest before the patrol this evening."

Robin couldn't help but smile. "I will."

Starfire nodded again and turned to go.

"Starfire," he called after her. She turned back.

_"_**_Yr sefte,"_ **he said very matter-of-factly.

Starfire's grin lit up her features.** _"Yr sefte, Dpi'syr Robin,"_ **she returned before flying off up the stairs to the Manor.

* * *

Gotta have a little fluff there...

Gah, this chapter did not want to come out. I wasn't really sure where I was going with it, actually. I tinkered with it, and read and re-read it...still not terribly sure I like it. The ending's not too bad. What I'm really driving toward is what's going to happen next chapter; I wasn't sure how to set that up when I sat down to write it; this is was came out. Hopefully the payoff will be worth it!

Sorry for the long delay...like I said, I had to mess with this one quite a bit. Show much love to the muse and hopefully things will go faster next chapter...


	20. Encounters

_Teen Titans_ still aren't mine. I am glad to see them back on Cartoon Network, though.

_Chapter 20: Encounters_

by Lelila

Starfire did not see Robin again that day until they gathered in the Batcave shortly before dusk. He hadn't joined them for the light supper Alfred had prepared (Bruce hadn't either), and when Starfire questioned the butler about it, she had been told her leader had gone to rest. While she was happy to hear that, she missed his presence at the table.

She smiled at him in greeting as they met up for their assignments. He returned the gesture but his attention quickly wavered as Batgirl appeared, making a grand entrance by descending from the ceiling.

"'Evenin', Titans!" she called as she slid down her line. "Ya'll ready to start the _real_job?"

Robin looked askance at her. "'Ya'll?' When did you become a Southern Belle?"

Batgirl dropped to the floor, laughing. "You've been away too long, Boy Wonder."

"Um, Robin?" Starfire asked timidly. "Why do you refer to her as a 'bell?' She does not resemble a vessel of tintinnabulation. And I believe our latitudinal coordinates to be too high to be considered 'southern.'"

Batgirl looked totally bewildered but Robin just chuckled. "No, Star. A 'Southern Belle' is a young woman who comes form the southern US. They have a unique dialect in that part of the country. 'Ya'll' is native to that dialect."

"So…our friend Batgirl is from the southern US?"

"No, she's not. That was my question."

"I see!" Starfire's eyes lit up. "She was pretending to be a 'Southern Belle.'"

"Exactly," Robin nodded.

"That's enough of a linguistics lesson for one day," Batman's voice announced his presence. He appeared out of the shadows dressed in jeans and a rumpled suit jacket, a beat-up fedora pulled down over his eyes and a scruffy goatee on his chin. Something about his nose seemed different, too. Starfire would not have recognized him had she not heard his voice.

"Your goal tonight is to make yourselves visible," Batman stated without preamble. "But, as Robin said earlier, this isn't your city. Don't do anything stupid." He paused, looking them over. For a moment, Starfire felt an immense weight on her shoulders and chest as his gaze passed her. Is this what Robin felt? No wonder he'd wanted to leave.

"Batgirl," he went on, "take Starfire and Beast Boy down to the warehouse district. Your best bet will be the alleys between the buildings. Robin," he turned, almost menacingly. "You take Raven and Cyborg to the historic district. There's been a lot of mob action in the surrounding neighborhood lately."

"Where are you gonna be?" Cyborg asked.

"Around," Batman replied cryptically. "Alfred will know how to get in touch with me. Stay in touch with him and each other. I'll be there if you need me."

"That won't be necessary," Robin snapped. He looked over Batgirl's team, his gaze lingering over Starfire. "We won't be far." He lowered his voice and glanced at Starfire again. "Be careful." He turned to his companions for the night. "Alright teams, let's go." He turned back. "Batman, I…"

But the Dark Knight was gone.

TtTtTtT

"How old is Gotham City?" Raven asked as she appeared out of the shadows of a decorative balcony where Robin and Cyborg already stood. The architecture in the area where they were was rather Victorian with a lot of frilly decoration, and the buildings weren't very tall.

"The city itself is over 300," Robin replied, scanning the rooflines. "It was founded in 1685. The island it's on, though, had a native population going back thousands of years."

"The Miaganis?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah," Robin replied absently, but then his brows pinched. "How'd you know that?"

"You're not the only one who does his homework, man."

One corner of Robin's mouth turned up briefly before he turned serious again. "The totem Fredo supposedly gave back was a Miagani religious artifact. It's said to be imbued with the earth's magic and whoever holds it will have power over the ground on which he stands. That's been interpreted by most historians to mean Gotham Island."

"If it's that powerful, I would have felt it when I touched it," Raven said. "Maybe even before. There was practically nothing."

"Practically?" Robin questioned.

"There was...something," she hedged. "Like someone believed it was real. Strong beliefs, even if they're based on lies, have great power."

"What could that mean?" Robin asked.

"That someone believes in it, even though it's fake."

Robin rubbed his chin. "Do you think it's Fredo himself?"

Raven shook her head emphatically. "His deceit hung over that party. He knows it's fake."

"Then, who?" Cyborg queried.

"Fredo's goons, no doubt," Robin grumbled. "Batman was right; they're generally not very smart."

"Speaking of which," Cyborg said, "I think we have company." He pointed out two silhouettes hiding in the crossed shadows of two buildings.

"Hit 'em with your light," Robin ordered.

Cyborg shot his spotlight across the opening, illuminating two figures in jeans, short jackets and ivy caps. They scrambled.

"Freeze!" Robin shouted.

The pair ran, splitting up and disappearing around the corners of different buildings.

Robin growled. "Cyborg, Raven, go left! I've got right!" He shot a line over to an adjoining building and swung after the shady figure, hitting the ground running. He quickly located the thug and gave chase. He tossed a small explosive in front of his quarry, causing him to skid to a stop.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" the obviously-scared goon blubbered, falling to his knees. "Honest!" he stuttered on. "I'm innocent! You're Robin, right? You gotta help me!"

"You work for Fredo," Robin accused. "Why should I help you?"

"You have the totem now, right?"

Robin grabbed the hoodlum by the shirt, pulling him to his feet. "What do you know about the totem?" he sneered on his face.

"J..just that bad things started to happen to people once Fredo got it. You don't want to cross him...you'll disappear...or worse!"

Robin shook the guy. "What makes you think I won't just make you disappear?"

"Well...you're Robin."

Robin growled and threw the man to the ground, sending him skittering a few inches on his behind. "And what if I told you the totem Fredo gave me was fake?"

The gangster's eyes grew very large, but before he could say anything else, Robin was hit from behind. It was a hard blow into his neck; an attempt to knock him out. His attacker's aim was poor, however, and all Robin got was a stinging whack that sent him stumbling. Caught by surprise, it took several seconds for him to react, and by then it was too late. He tripped over a nearby railing and fell into a below-street-level stairwell. With no room to roll, he landed hard face-down. He managed not to hit his head and to pull his chest up so the breath wasn't knocked from his lungs, taking most of the impact in his pelvis. He skid a bit as he landed, causing his athletic supporter to shift, the edge of it sliding across the very area it was meant to protect.

He sucked in a breath, biting his tongue to keep from yelping as the pain radiated through is hips, down his legs and into his belly. Wincing, he pushed up to his hands and knees, a stray desire for Starfire to come and kiss his injury to make it better flitting through his brain. It dissolved as he heard the goons running away. He launched to his feet and was about to shoot a line up over the railing when the ground shifted. Stepping back, his heel cracked through the concrete and the next thing he knew he had been dumped unceremoniously on his behind four feet below where he'd been standing.

The wind knocked out of him this time, his groin injury jolted and sending shivers of pain through him and disoriented because of the near-pitch darkness, Robin took a moment to rest, resigned to the fact that Fredo's henchmen had gotten away. He punched the ground in frustration.

"Robin?" Raven's voice crackled over his communicator. "I felt you...injure yourself. Are you okay?"

Robin groaned, fishing for a flashlight as he activated his comm. "Yeah," he rasped. "I'm sure it hurts a lot worse than it is." He flicked his light on and pulled a sharp breath that had nothing to do with his injury.

"Raven," he transmitted, his voice still pained. "I think you need to see this."

* * *

Ooo...little cliffy there. And Robin's hurt!

This one's a bit shorter as it just didn't want to come out either. It wasn't until I came up with the idea for Robin to take one in the junk that things started to move. I have most of a scene that's related to that written; but it won't show up for a few chapters yet. You'll just have to wait! (Evil laugh)

I am pretty happy with my characterization of Robin in this chapter, though. I sometimes think I make him a little too soft. It was nice to pull out his hard-nosed hero side, if only for a page or so.

Make with the love; hopefully it will heal Robin faster and motivate the muse to get the next chapter out soon!


	21. Discoveries

_Teen Titans still aren't mine. At least they aren't owned by a mouse, like some other superheroes..._

_Chapter 21:Discoveries_

by Lelila

Owl-Beast Boy alit on the edge of the roof of the warehouse where Batgirl was staked out. Starfire circled overhead, starbolts lit.

"Anything interesting?" Batgirl asked as Beast Boy morphed back into a human.

"There's something weird going on three buildings over," he replied as he shook his arms. "Man, being a bird is tiring!"

"Really?" Batgirl remarked, more interested in the building Beast Boy had pointed out. "I wouldn't know."

"Of course not, you're a bat," Beast Boy teased. "They fly differently than birds do."

Batgirl looked up from her binoculars, genuinely interested this time. "Really? How?"

"Birds use their whole arms to fly. Bats only use their hands."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Bats have reeeeeaaaaaaly long fingers and basically just flap their hands."

"Huh."

"I'm surprised you didn't know that."

Batgirl lifted her binoculars back to her eyes. "The bat I study uses a line to fly."

Beast Boy laughed. "Good point."

Batgirl adjusted the focus on her binoculars. "What the heck is going on over there?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "I dunno. Some kind of construction, I think."

Batgirl chewed on her lip. "Construction of what? There's a lot of dirt coming out of there."

"I shall investigate," Starfire said from above. She extinguished her starbolts and zipped off.

"Starfire, wait!" Batgirl called after. She looked at Beast Boy, hoping for some insight. He just shrugged. "Batman did say he wanted us to be visible."

Batgirl grumbled and shot a line over to the next building. "Hurry up, BB!" she called over her shoulder.

Beast Boy turned back into an owl and followed.

Batgirl yanked her line free as she landed. "What is she doing?" she hissed at Beast Boy as he landed.

"Investigating," human Beast Boy grinned.

Batgirl made a face at him and pulled her binoculars back out. She was able to see that Starfire was flitting around the windows of the warehouse at the end of the block. Batgirl was just about to buzz Starfire's comm when the alien headed back in their direction. She landed on the roof, obviously very excited.

"Friends!" she chirped. "There is indeed much activity in the aforementioned building. The floor is being excavated and some kind of structure is being constructed below ground level."

"Really?" Batgirl questioned. "What kind of structure?"

"Many small compartments," Starfire explained. "I am at a loss as to what their purpose could be."

"Hmmm." Batgirl removed her line from her belt again. "Maybe I won't be quite so lost." She tossed the grappling hook to the next building and swung away.

Beast Boy groaned. "Not more flying."

Starfire blinked. "I thought that you enjoyed the flying."

"I do," Beast Boy grudgingly admitted. "It's the flapping I don't like."

Starfire giggled. "I have never considered that. I suppose it must be tiresome."

"That's an understatement."

"I could carry you to the next building, if you like."

"Whew," Beast Boy sighed in relief. "Thanks."

Starfire held out her hand and Beast Boy took it. "Oh, Robin and I have found that it is best to hold on to each others' wrists," she instructed, changing her grip. "Like the fliers of the trapeze." She smiled.

Beast Boy grinned in return. "I guess he would know."

Starfire giggled again and lifted off, carrying Beast Boy by one wrist.

Beast Boy stumbled as he landed. "Robin's got good balance," he commented.

"Yes, he does," Starfire agreed.

"Enough flirting, you two," Batgirl called from the far edge of the roof. "Check this out."

"I was not doing the flirting," Starfire said in confusion. "Beast Boy, were you doing the flirting?"

"Not with you!"

Starfire looked bewildered.

"Well, whatever you call it, knock it off and come over here," Batgirl ordered.

Beast Boy scowled. "You can tell she and Robin had the same teacher," he grumbled.

Starfire looked back at him and shrugged as she strode to Batgirl's side. "What is the matter, Friend Batgirl?"

"That is the strangest looking basement I've ever seen," she remarked as Starfire and Beast Boy came to her side. "It's just a bunch of little rooms. There aren't even any hallways!" She pulled something from her utility belt. "Beast Boy, think you can make yourself small enough to not be seen yet big enough to carry this?" She held up a small video camera about the size of cigar.

Beast Boy screwed up his face in thought for a moment and then morphed into a flying squirrel. Batgirl grinned. "Flight and agility. I like it." She knelt down and fastened the camera around his neck. "Okay, I'll be monitoring you from here, but don't do anything risky. Just get some close-ups of the construction and get back here."

Beast Boy chittered an affirmative and hopped up on the roof's railing, jumping forward into the open space before extending his limbs to glide safely to an upper windowsill of the next building. He turned long enough to give a rodent thumbs-up before pushing the window open and scampering inside.

Batgirl pulled off her belt buckle, revealing a small screen on the back. She fiddled with a knob on the side and the view from Beast Boy's camera came in. Starfire floated up a few inches behind her to watch over her shoulder.

The images only confirmed Batgirl's initial observations. The entire floor of the warehouse had been dug out into a honeycomb of small rooms with no apparent pathways between them. They were many different sizes from very small to one in the center that was nearly a quarter of the area of the entire warehouse. "What's the point of that?" Batgirl asked, mostly to herself. "Especially if you can't get between them?"

"Look," Starfire pointed to a dark spot on the wall of one of the rooms. "I believe there are openings between the rooms."

Batgirl fiddled with the display. "Hmm...you might be right. Still, what's the point? If they were just trying to increase storage, wouldn't it make more sense to..." She was cut off as a shot rang through the air. Starfire pushed Batgirl to the roof, landing hard on top of her.

"Don't tell me you're bulletproof, too," Batgirl gasped under the alien's weight.

"No, but..."

"Then get off of me!" Batgirl pushed Starfire away, but quickly rolled back, throwing her cape around her. "What were you thinking?"

"Well...it is what Robin would have done."

Batgirl rolled her eyes. "Robin has a cape like mine! It's bullet resistant."

"My apologies, Friend Batgirl, I was merely..."

Batgirl shot up a finger. "Shhh! Listen!"

The fire escape on the side of the building rattled. "Well, will ya look at that?" a gravelly voice was heard to say. "I think we may have caught ourselves a baby bat!"

The girls were instantly on their feet; Batgirl with a batarang in both hands and Starfire's fists aglow with starbolts. A wiry, rough-looking man hopped over the railing and landed with a crunch on the roof's gravel. Starfire extended a crackling, green hand. "Do not move."

The thug obeyed momentarily, but quickly regained his courage as another man of similar build popped his head and shoulders over the edge of the roof. "Hey, Charlie, what'd you find?"

The first goon smiled and raised a pistol. "A nice little prize for the boss."

"Hey, Bozos!" Beast Boy called from the next building's roof. "Didn't your mama ever tell you not to pick on girls?"

Charlie whipped his pistol around and fired, but Beast Boy had already turned into a gecko and crawled over onto the wall. He quickly turned himself into a kangaroo and bounced off the side of the building, hurtling himself towards the thug on the fire escape. His attempt to squash him as he morphed yet again into a hippo was thwarted by another nearby shot, and, startled, he turned into an eagle and flapped up over the goons' heads. He narrowly avoided a third bullet and, out of tricks, turned back into a human and tumbled into Batgirl, knocking her onto her behind. Beast Boy landed more or less in her lap. Starfire had taken the distraction to fire a few well-aimed starbolts, and the henchmen went running, disappearing into the night.

Batgirl and Beast Boy stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, his green a bit dreamy, her blue a bit perturbed. Beast Boy just had to ruin it though. His features spread into a goofy grin and he said: "So, is this how you and Robin used to make out?"

Batgirl glowered at him and shoved him off her lap, climbing to her feet as he landed on his butt. She was about to give him a good yelling at when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught Starfire walking towards her. No, not walking. Stalking. Starfire may have been an alien, but there was no mistaking the look in her eyes. This was a woman protecting her man.

"W...wai...wai...wait, Starfire!" Batgirl raised her hands in defense and unconsciously began to scoot backwards. "He landed on me! He's cute, but, seriously, he's way too young for me! You can have him! Seriously!" She glanced nervously over at Beast Boy. "A little help here, BB?"

"I don't think it's you and me she's worried about," Beast Boy shook his head.

"What...me and Robin?? I thought he was seeing Raven."

Beast Boy fell backwards from his seated position and howled with laughter, kicking his feet into the gravel. "Robin and _Raven?_ Trust me, Raven doesn't do romance."

Batgirl looked back at Starfire. She still seemed angry; her fists were clenched, her shoulders were drawn up and there was a definite frown on her face. "It wasn't like that!" Batgirl protested. "We never actually made out! Yeah, we kissed a couple of times, but it was total puppy love! Really, I think of him a lot more like a little brother...ack!"

Batgirl yelped as Starfire wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Knowing the alien's strength, Batgirl expected to be crushed, and she was squeezed rather firmly, but her fear evaporated into confusion as Starfire cooed into her ear: "Oh, thank you, Friend Batgirl, thank you!"

"Wait...what?" Batgirl squirmed and managed to push Starfire back a step. "You're not mad at me? Thank me for what?"

"For caring for Robin when he felt no one else did. His time with the Batman is still one he does not like to speak of, and I am beginning to understand why. But you were a friend to him at a time he needed one, and I am glad for that."

Batgirl was totally bewildered now. "So...you two are a couple?"

Starfire sketched a nod. "Please do not tell the Batman. Robin does not wish it."

"You got it," Batgirl promised breathlessly, still nervous. "But...you don't care that we...flirted a little?"

"It was before I met him," Starfire answered simply. "You are not romantically involved with him at the present time, are you?"

"No, no, no!" Batgirl insisted. "That ended a loooong time ago, what there was of it. And it wasn't that much to begin with."

Starfire smiled broadly. "Then no, I do not care. As I said, I am happy that you were able to bring some companionship to him."

Batgirl puffed out a breath of relief. "No problem."

"So, are you two going to start making out now that we're all happy?" Beast Boy sauntered over, his voice a mixture of cheeky and lewd. "Maybe get with Robin for a three-way?"

Batgirl caught Starfire's eye and lifted an eyebrow. Starfire's lip curled wickedly. With no words spoken, the two redheads turned at the same time and punched Beast Boy, Batgirl with her right and Starfire with her left.

He skittered back several steps before landing on his rear again. "Ow!"

"That was for being a perv," Batgirl told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, okay, I'm sorry," Beast Boy grumped, rubbing his chin. "But it was a joke!"

"It was not a very funny one," Starfire told him, imitating Batgirl's stance. "You are lucky that was merely a sparring punch and not one that I would use on one of our true adversaries." She paused, and her firm look softened a bit. "Please, what is a 'three-way'?"

Beast Boy fell over laughing again.

"Um...maybe you should ask Robin that," Batgirl replied. "Later. Right now we need to get moving; they know we're here and it's pretty obvious they don't want us to see what they're doing." She headed back the way they'd come, shooting a line to an adjoining building. Starfire flew after her.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Beast Boy called.

* * *

I told somebody I would have the next chapter up by Christmas. Well...I'm only two days late...so Happy Holidays (no matter which ones you celebrate)!

Yeah, this one is short; I had wanted to put another scene in it with Robin and Raven and the little cave he fell into at the end of the last chapter, but I haven't even started that one yet, and I wanted to get something up.

Now that the majority of the holidays are over, I might actually have a little more time to write, but no promises. Thanks for hangin' on everybody. If the rest of the story turns out as good as it is in my head, it's going to be awesome! Make with the love...now that I've started again, hopefully things will go a bit faster.


	22. Secrets

_I, alas, did not receive the Teen Titans for Christmas, so they're still not mine._

_Chapter 22: Secrets_

by Lelila

Raven materialized beside Robin. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm sure I will be," Robin croaked. "But that's not why I wanted you to come down here." He turned his flashlight on the wall of the small underground chamber, revealing that it was covered with carved symbols, the remains of paint flaking from the surface. Raven scanned them before gently placing her fingertips on one near her. "This is Miagani," she said. It wasn't a question.

"I think so," Robin answered anyway.

"This is nothing like what I felt from the totem," Raven murmured. She studied the glyphs a moment longer and then closed her eyes and gently pressed her hand flat against the wall. "There's some powerful magic here, " she whispered before quickly pulling back and drawing her cloak around herself as if she were cold.

"This is a curse," she said simply. "Or some of it is, anyway. Has the Miagani language been translated?"

"I'm sure Batman has some sort of key."

"Then we need as many pictures of this as we can get."

Robin nodded and pulled out a small digital camera. "How could this be missed this long? I swear archaeologists have gone over every square inch of Gotham Island."

"Maybe it was buried on purpose," Raven posited.

Robin shrugged and then slipped his camera back in his belt. Looking up, he grimaced at the effort it would take to get himself back out of the hole. And he was still in pain from his knees to nipples thanks to the nasty fall he'd taken into the cove. "I think I'm gonna need some help getting out of here."

Raven tossed her cloak around him and they were gone.

TtTtTtT

Back in the Batcave a bit later, Raven was busily comparing the pictures Robin had taken with a Miagani symbol guide Batman had pulled up. Cyborg stood nearby, running a translation program. At the same time, Batgirl and Starfire were describing what they'd seen at the warehouse to Batman and Robin as Alfred patched Beast Boy's scrapes and bruises.

"My word, Young Man, how did you get this bruise to your jaw?" Alfred fretted. "You're going to be a very interesting color tomorrow."

"Well, um, I got clocked when...we were...fighting the bad guys!" Beast Boy improvised. "Yeah. That's it."

"Be sure to block next time, Young Master."

Meanwhile...

"It sounds like a maze," Batman was saying in response to Batgirl's description.

"But why would Fredo be building a maze?" Robin chimed in. "And in the middle of the warehouse district, no less? And are we sure it's even Fredo? This sounds more like something The Joker would pull."

"The Joker's in Arkham Asylum at the moment," Batman supplied.

"It is one of Fredo's warehouses," Batgirl pointed out. "It's probably a fair assumption."

Batman nodded, obviously deep in thought.

"And Fredo has that thing?" Cyborg was heard to say in the silence that lulled.

"What is it?" Robin asked, limping a little as he came up behind Raven, next to Cyborg.

"The symbols we found," Raven replied. "They're about the totem."

"What do they say?" Batgirl asked as the rest of the group gathered around.

"It's the history of the totem," Raven began. "It was carved by a great chief from the oldest known tree on Gotham Island. But this chief had no sons. So he had a holy man place a blessing on it: whoever possessed the totem would be chief of Gotham Island."

"We know that part," Beast Boy pointed out.

"But here's the part you didn't know," Raven continued. "As the chief grew old, he chose the greatest hunter in his tribe to inherit the totem, and thus, the mantle of chief. But this hunter was greedy and cruel. He stole the totem before the old chief died. At first the old chief was content to live out his days acting as an adviser to the new chief, but it soon became apparent that the new chief would rule with an iron fist. He claimed all of the best crops and animals for himself, and his people began to go hungry. So, the old chief waged battle against the new chief, and was able to defeat him. In order to keep anyone from abusing the power of the totem again, the old chief had a curse put on it: whoever uses the totem for anything other than prosperity of the people of Gotham Island would, and I quote: "Cause the demise of the entire island by fire and stone."

"The thought being that one wouldn't want to destroy that which is bringing him power," Batman surmised.

"No island, no power. You're back to being a nobody," Cyborg rephrased.

"And Fredo has slowly been destroying the island through his crime syndicate," Robin added.

"Perhaps, but I think the curse specifies something a bit more catastrophic," Raven said. "The syntax of the curse gives the impression that it would be a singular event."

Batman and Robin looked at each other. "Which means he's planning something big," Robin conjectured.

"Which we'd already figured," Batman replied. "Still, it could be a lot worse than we thought, if there's any truth to this."

"So, what do we do now?" Batgirl asked after a moment of heavy silence.

"What we've been doing," Batman replied. "Try and figure out what Fredo's up to and stop him before he does it. I'll go over everything we've gathered tonight and we'll decide our next move at tomorrow's briefing. The rest of you turn in and get some sleep. Plan for a workout in the morning." He shooed Raven from his chair and settled in, bringing up Batgirl's pictures of the warehouse.

"I'll stay," Robin said firmly as the rest of the team started towards the elevator. "I may see something you don't."

"You're hurt," Batman said without turning around. "Go stretch your groin before it has a chance to seize up."

Beast Boy snickered and opened his mouth to say something, but Cyborg shoved him into the elevator.

"I never said I was hurt," Robin declared.

"You're limping," Batman went on, still facing the screen.

"It's nothing."

"Robin," Raven called. "He's right."

Robin turned to see Raven, about halfway between him and the elevator, looking at him intently. Beyond her, he could see Starfire and Batgirl most of the way up the far stairs.

Robin clenched his teeth, but had to admit that he needed to do something. "Fine," he grumbled and did his best to march over to the elevator. It was kind of a bow-legged march, however.

Raven joined him in the lift. "Robin," she said simply. "You have to let me help you."

Robin seemed to deflate a little. "I'm okay, really," he said a bit weakly.

"No, you're not," Raven insisted.

"If it were anything else..." Robin mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Robin..." Raven lowered her voice. "I saw the injury when we transported. It's not just a bruise. If you don't get it treated, it's going to cause problems later."

Robin pinched his brows. "Problems?"

Raven sent him a whiff of what she felt from him when he and Starfire were making love, but cut it off quickly. "Problems."

Robin frowned. "Oh."

"And maybe not just that," she went on, sending him an image of a diaper. Robin grimaced in understanding. Raven crossed her arms. "So it's either me or the hospital. As good as Alfred is, I doubt he can do microsurgery."

Robin heaved a sigh, letting his shoulders fall. "Alright. But let's go to my room."

Raven followed Robin into his room, and after he shut the door he said: "I've disabled the security in here, unless Bruce is craftier than I think, which is a distinct possibility."

"But I'm just going to heal you," Raven said.

"It's going to look like more than that," Robin frowned. He heaved a sigh as he eased himself onto the bed. "I snuck into Starfire's room last night."

Raven cocked an eyebrow.

"Nothing happened," Robin's hackles came up a bit. "Not much, anyway. But I realized I'm not used to sleeping alone anymore. I also realized we're probably going to be here longer than I thought. And what I do in my bedroom, alone or with others, is none of Bruce's business."

"We are guests in his home," Raven pointed out.

"He's the one who asked us to be here!" Robin was getting agitated. "He practically ordered me." He stabbed the air with a finger, causing the bed to bounce. This, in turn, jostled his injury. His indignation was quickly derailed as he sucked in a painful breath.

Raven frowned. "You do realize that your animosity towards Bruce is only making all of this more difficult. You'll just make the mission longer if you can't make some peace with this."

Robin snorted derisively. "Just heal me already."

Raven shrugged and stepped closer to him, her eyes drifting to his crotch. "I have to touch you," she said matter-of-factly. "A couple layers of clothing is okay, but you're going to have to lose the cup."

The color in Robin's cheeks rose slightly and he gingerly slid off the bed. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later dressed in just a pair of black boxer-briefs. Raven saw him toss something in the wastebasket as he opened the door. "Good thing I brought three of those," he grunted. "That one obviously didn't work."

"Defective?" Raven asked.

"Probably just worn out."

Raven closed her eyes to center herself as her brain went several places at once. One was a snide comment about Starfire helping him wear out his underwear (in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Beast Boy's). The other was a stray thought as to how hot Robin looked shirtless.

Raven kept a tight rein on her imagination and libido when she was awake, but it ran free in her dreams when she slept. When she'd first joined the team, whenever she dreamed about romance or sex, Robin was the object of her affection. But when it became apparent that he had a special connection with Starfire (even before they knew), her partner in said dreams became a generic attractive male whose features changed periodically. In the last few he'd had green hair. Raven was still worrying that one out.

When she opened her eyes, Robin was sitting on the bed much as he had been earlier. She again focused on his crotch, this time to keep herself from ogling his chest. "Lie back," she told him. He complied and Raven hovered her hands over his pelvis. She flicked her eyes to his face; he'd taken his mask off. "Are you ready?"

His gaze moved to the ceiling in avoidance. "Yeah."

Gently Raven rest her hands on Robin's injured appendage. She chanted a few words, sending healing energy to it. It grew warm and firm beneath her touch. An odd thrill shivered down her spine, settling low in her abdomen. She shooed it away.

Satisfied that she'd repaired most of the damage, she removed her hands and glanced back up at Robin, who was blushing furiously.

"Sorry," he croaked sheepishly.

Raven shook her head. "Healing causes blood to rush to the area. It's a good sign."

"Um, yeah." Robin grabbed a pillow and pulled it into his lap as he sat up. "Thanks, Raven."

Raven nodded. "Rest it for a day or so."

Robin's blush deepened. He looked like a steamed lobster. "Um, right," he coughed. "I think maybe I'll turn in," he went on, not looking at her.

"Good idea," she agreed. "I need to meditate." She drifted towards the door. She paused as she put her hand on the knob, but didn't look back. "And Robin..."

"Yeah?" Robin's voice still sounded nervous.

"Starfire would understand." She glanced over her shoulder to see Robin, still fairly pink, smile.

* * *

Hey, two updates in a week! How do you like that!

That's the good news. The bad news is, the only reason you got this one so soon is that I had the second half of it already written like...six weeks ago. I'm starting from scratch on the next chapter, so it's gonna be a little while. I hope this will hold you over!

So, major plot point in this chapter. (_Curse_ of the bat, get it? Although that's not the only thing it refers to.) And the stuff with Robin and Raven...it just kind of popped into my head back when I had Robin hurt himself. I think it's a good scene that shows their relationship in action, and how much they trust each other.

Make with the love...the muse and I have to fire up the engines from a cold start tomorrow!


	23. A Step

_Teen Titans belongs to DC Comics. I don't work for them._

_Chapter 23: A Step_

by Lelila

Mid-morning the next day, Batman met the Titans and Batgirl in the training area. "I've not worked out with you yet," he said without preamble. "It's a good idea to get used to each others' techniques."

Beast Boy could hardly contain himself. "We're gonna work out with Batman!"

Standing next to the changeling, Cyborg frowned. "Sit, BB!" the older Titan barked. Beast Boy dutifully turned into a golden retriever and sat down, his tail wagging enthusiastically.

Batman seemed not to notice. "We're running a simulation. That's all I'm telling you." And then he seemed to fade back into his cowl.

The room exploded. The heroes within dove for cover.

Well, the room didn't really explode. The simulator had set off a concussion grenade in the center of the room.

And then…nothing.

Silence.

"Uh…did it break?" Beast Boy queried from behind a weight bench.

"You can't know that," Batman said cryptically.

Beast Boy turned into an armadillo and curled into a ball.

Crouched between Batgirl and Raven, Robin sat stiffly, ready to strike. Finally, after what seemed like forever, a lumbering robot appeared from the corner. Starfire, hovering near the ceiling since the explosion, started to rain starbolts down on it. She made quick work of it, and the machine was soon a pile of slag.

The young heroes all cheered, Robin loudest of all. Starfire was so sexy when she took down a foe.

Batman said nothing.

Before the cheers were even able to die down, the room was full of more robots. The Titans and the Bat Clan flew into action. Cyborg scooped up armadillo Beast Boy and pulled his arm back. "Time for Triple B!" he announced. "Beast Boy Bowling!" He tossed the armored mammal towards a stand of three robots. Beast Boy quickly grew into a rhino and crashed the bots over. Starfire, still overhead, zapped them quickly to keep them from getting up.

Across the room, Robin was being pushed into a corner by another bot. He tossed a handful of exploding disks, but they did nothing to stop his attacker. Running out of room, he pulled a line from his belt. He aimed overhead to a girder, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, the robot collapsed. Robin looked up to see Starfire floating there, starbolts lit and eyes aglow.

Robin gave her a feral smile. Starfire's eyes winked out and she returned the acknowledgment with a look that was half innocence, half sex-kitten. Robin felt his adrenaline rush.

It was a good thing too, because he was caught off guard by shots from his left. Energy bolts spattered around his feet. Still high on the surge from Starfire's grin, he was easily able to cartwheel out of the way. His tether still in his hand, he changed his aim to the automaton's gun, planning on pulling it down with his line.

Batman beat him to it. He threw a blob of something pink and sticky into the muzzle of the weapon. Robin frowned and glanced over at his former mentor. Any anger he may have felt evaporated when he saw a robot stalking Batman from behind and his sense of duty took over.

Robin shot his tether over the girder he'd initially aimed at and swung feet first into the bot. He was only able to force it back a step, but Starfire was right there, without his even needing to call to her. Two quick starbolts fried the bot. Robin felt more than his adrenaline rush this time as he spotted her smile wickedly in triumph.

Batman said nothing; he merely leapt out of the way as the bot fell.

Robin, however, was appreciative. "Way to go, Star!" he called, punching a fist into the air. Starfire beamed.

Robin turned to survey the situation and found Raven using her powers to crunch a bot into a rather small ball. She lifted it nearly to the ceiling and then let it go.

Nothing needed to be said to Beast Boy. He quickly turned into a donkey and kicked the metal ball, sending it across the room.

The field was clear now. The floor was littered with mechanical debris. Silence filled the room, punctuated by electrical hums and crackles from the slagged robots.

Cyborg broke the din, crowing: "Booyah! We kicked their butts!"

"Indeed, we are victorious!" Starfire chirped, landing lightly between Beast Boy and Robin.

"Alright! Show me some skin, Raven!" Beast Boy chimed in, holding up a hand for a high five. She looked at him icily for a moment before returning it with almost no enthusiasm.

"Great job, team," Robin complimented, discreetly eying Starfire, who giggled merrily as Beast Boy turned into a terrier rolled at her feet.

"You guys are amazing!" Batgirl declared, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "How did you…?" She was cut off by the splatter of more laser fire. Automated guns had appeared from holes in the wall. The heroes scattered. Robin pushed Batgirl down and took cover behind the hulk of a fallen bot before tossing several exploding disks at the nearest turret. They erupted harmlessly around the gun. "They're shielded?" he shouted incredulously. He whipped around towards Batman. "You shielded them!?"

"They were getting too easy to defeat," he replied matter-of-factly before shooting a suction line against the wall near a turret. He pulled himself up and began to dismantle it.

Robin grumbled before calling out: "Titans! The guns have shields! We'll have to disable them!"

"Aw man!" Beast Boy whined. "How am I supposed to help with that?"

Cyborg grabbed him by his shirt. "Turn yourself into a raccoon and grab some wires." He lifted the green boy, who quickly turned into a hummingbird and zipped off through the shots towards the nearest turret. Changing again into the rodent Cyborg suggested, Beast Boy began working on the screws on the housing.

Meanwhile, Raven was attempting to use her powers to take out the guns but wasn't having much luck. After much concentration, she managed to get one to explode. She needed to take a few breaths before starting the next one. Batman landed lightly beside her in that lull, holding his cape up to protect himself from any stray blasts. "You're not the first magic user I've met," he said almost nonchalantly as he fired off another line. Raven frowned and set to work on another gun.

Batgirl and Robin were doing their best just to stay out of the line of fire. Robin tossed a birdarang into an incoming blast and managed to redirect it back at its origin, splashing it off the gun's shields.

"Good shot, Boy Wonder!" Batgirl chirped as she skidded to a stop beside him.

"Thanks, but this isn't getting us anywhere."

"I know," Batgirl ducked behind her cape as two shots splashed over it. "What can we do?"

Robin opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by one of Starfire's warrior yells and an explosion. Robin dove beneath his cape out of instinct but looked up a moment later to see Starfire, starbolts lit, floating near the remains of a turret.

She landed between them, a scowl on her face. "We do not seem to be making much progress against these weapons."

"We're not going to last long at this rate," Batgirl agreed. "We need some way to take them all out at once."

Robin grinned, an idea coming to him. "I may have a way. Star, can you fly me up to that platform?" He pointed overhead.

"Of course," she answered, offering him her hand.

Rather brazenly, he wrapped his arms around her, allowing himself a brief moment to enjoy the feel of her body. "We'll present a smaller target this way," he said loudly enough to make sure at least Batgirl heard him.

"A good tactic," Starfire agreed, returning his embrace and raising them from the floor. "_And a good excuse_," she murmured gleefully in Tamaranian.

Robin felt a smirk tug at his lips as he arched his mask. But he didn't say anything further.

They landed on a small platform high above the field. Hologram emitters studded the underneath of it, and a complex control panel took up much of the floorspace. A small door led somewhere into the bowels of the Batcave.

As soon as they landed, Robin was tinkering with the controls. He quickly processed through a series of screens and got to one that read "Abort." It required a password. Robin's lips became a thin line and his brow creased. He tried a few different obvious character combinations, with no luck.

"Robin, may I try?" Starfire asked after a few moments.

Robin frowned, still punching buttons. "I don't think so, Star."

Starfire nudged him over with her hip. "You are wasting time, Robin," she told him as she commandeered the controls.

"Star, what are you…?" Robin trailed off as he watched her fingers fly over the keyboard. It took less than a minute before the words "Sequence Aborted" appeared on the screen and the crack of the blasters stopped.

"Wha…how did you…do that?" Robin stuttered, utterly amazed.

"It was a simple algorithm," she explained, looking a bit bewildered at his shock. "The number of characters was given, so…"

"I've…I've never seen you do anything like that before!"

Starfire shrugged. "Usually Cyborg performs such duties."

Robin shook his head, smiling. "You never fail to surprise me."

Starfire grinned back. "I hope these surprises are pleasant."

Robin's expression grew. "Always."

Their flirtatious moment was cut short by Batman's shout from below. "Robin! Starfire! Come down here!"

Starfire looked at Robin. Robin snarled.

"Perhaps he wishes to congratulate us?" Starfire suggested.

"Not likely," Robin sneered. "What is it?" he yelled over the rail.

"Come down here," Batman repeated.

Robin crossed his arms. "Why?"

Starfire grabbed his elbow. "Robin, you are being impertinent," she told him, and then pulled him off the platform.

"Starfire!" he yelled in both anger and alarm as they fell. She pulled out of the dive and attempted to set him on his feet. Disoriented, he stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. Yanking his arm from her grasp, he opened his mouth to chasten her, but was cut off by Batman.

"What do you think you're doing? You've canceled the simulation."

"I – _we_ – defeated the turrets," Robin shot back hotly.

"Robin always says to out-think one's opponent before out-fighting him," Starfire chimed in.

"Which you taught me!" Robin punctuated.

"True," Batman said evenly. "And if we were actually out in the field, you would have done the right thing. But the point of this exercise was to work out together, and you defeated that purpose." He paused, obviously contemplating something. "Whose idea was it?"

Robin felt his lip curl as the anger welled up in him. "It was…" he started, but Starfire cut him off.

"Why does that matter?" she demanded. "A decision was made and we worked together as teammates to carry it out."

Batman stood silent, seemingly considering that. Finally he said: "Because this is as much about what kind of a leader Robin is as it is anything else."

"So this was a test?!" Robin charged.

"What did you think it was?"

Starfire felt Robin stiffen beside her. "Why do I have to prove myself over and over to you?" Robin snarled. "This is why I left; you don't trust me!"

"Trust is earned; as a team leader you haven't earned my trust," Batman said straightforwardly.

Robin growled and launched himself at Batman, fists at the ready. Starfire grabbed his elbows from behind and pulled him back. "Robin, regain your composure!" she told him.

Robin struggled in her grip. "Stay out of this, Star!"

"I am not interested in participating in your argument, but I do not feel that a physical altercation will result in a solution."

"Starfire's right," Batgirl chimed in. "You two going at it isn't going to solve anything. Batman, you've seen Robin with his team; I think he deserves some credit."

"We really don't need your help with this, Barbara," Batman said evenly, not looking at her.

Robin twitched in Starfire's hands. "You don't listen to anybody, do you?"

Again Batman stood still and quiet for a long moment. "Hit the showers, everyone," he finally said. "Meet in the Batcave at dusk for patrol assignments." He took a step, hit a button on his belt, and disappeared into a suddenly-opened hole in the floor.

"Cool!" Beast Boy called into the thick quiet.

"No," Raven disagreed. "What purpose did that serve?"

"He's just trying to push the mystique," Batgirl frowned. "I've seen him pull similar stunts in front of the Justice League."

"More proof he doesn't trust me, or any of us for that matter," Robin grumbled, twisting himself out of Starfire's loosened grasp.

"Dick..." Batgirl chastened.

"No, Babs," Robin shook his head, obviously agitated. "He's the one that asked us to come. He could at least show us a little respect." He puffed a noisy breath through his nose, pulling on his shirt to adjust it. "Get some rest, everybody," he ordered, putting an end to the matter, at least for the moment. "We're going to hit the streets hard tonight. I want this over."

TtTtTtT

Robin had not spoken to Starfire after they'd left the gym and he'd muttered something about going to take a shower before she could engage him. Deciding she could use a washing as well, she went to her own room. After redressing in some of her new street clothes, she went off to find Robin.

She found him alone in the lounge, studiously peering at something on his laptop. She wondered briefly where her other friends were, but was happy to have a minute alone with him.

"Robin?" she said softly into the quite room.

"Hey Star," he replied gruffly without looking up.

Something in his demeanor didn't sit right with her, and considering what had happened at the end of combat practice…

"You are…angry with me?" she asked slowly.

Robin's brow creased. "What? No."

"You are certain?"

Robin's look turned annoyed. "Of course I'm certain. Why?"

"The timbre of your voice," she replied. "That is your 'I am really angry with you even though I say that I am not' voice."

Robin's face relaxed and he puffed out an amused sigh. "You know me that well, huh?"

Starfire smiled softly. "Of course."

Robin shook his head. "I'm not mad at you, Star."

"Then you are angry with the Batman?"

Starfire saw the muscles in Robin's jaw flex as he grit his teeth. "Do you see now why I left?"

"I have been seeing the friction between you," Starfire acknowledged. "But I am still uncertain as to the cause."

Robin snorted. "You don't see his 'I'm always right' way of doing things?"

"I see that he is certain in his actions, much like you."

Robin's lip curled. "We're not alike."

"Not in all ways," Starfire conceded. "You are certainly more friendly. But your tenacity, your assertion, that is very similar."

Robin scowled. "I suppose you're going to tell me that's why we don't get along."

Starfire shrugged.

"It doesn't matter," Robin snapped. "This part of my life is over. If it weren't for Fredo, we wouldn't be here."

Starfire chewed her lip, pondering that statement. "Are you certain that is the only reason?"

Robin frowned again. "What do you mean by that?"

Starfire took a moment to gather her thoughts and finally began again, this time in Tamaranian. _"I suspect this is as much about proving to the Batman that you were correct in your actions when you saved that child. And that you are correct in your decisions now." _

Robin sat back in his chair, a defiant look on his face, and crossed his arms. But he didn't say anything.

"_I also suspect that is why you do not wish for him to know of our relationship; you feel you are in the right, yet you know he would disapprove."_

"One has nothing to do with the other," Robin snapped in English, not bothering to try and disguise his response.

_"Perhaps not,"_ Starfire replied, still in Tamaranian. _"But it is obvious to me that you have decided to disagree on many things."_

"Decided?! I didn't decide anything! He's the one who…"

"Robin," Starfire cut him off. _"If I have learned anything from being a member of this team – and from being your __**Aiyknrwa**__ – it is that compromise is usually in the best interest for all involved. Neither you nor the Batman seem willing to do so."_

Robin threw his hands up in frustration, letting them fall with two thuds onto the leather padding of the arms of his chair. "That's just it, Star. There is no compromise with him, only acquiescence."

"_In matters like this perhaps it is best to accept the fact that you will have differing opinions."_

"Agree to disagree?" Robin translated. He shook his head. "That would require him to actually agree about something."

Starfire sighed in defeat. _"__**Dpi'syr**__, I will follow your wishes in these matters, but I believe you are only hurting yourself." _She took a step and placed a hand over his. _"I will leave you to your research; I also wish to leave this place as soon as possible." _She squeezed his hand. _"And no matter what, __**yr sefte, Dpi'syr **_Robin." She smiled and took a few steps backwards before turning to go.

"Starfire," Robin called as she reached the door. She turned, question in her eyes. He paused a moment, just looking at her.

"Robin?" she prompted.

"_**Yr sefte."**_

Starfire smiled and then drifted out the door.

Robin sighed and tried to return his concentration to his research. But the longer he sat there, the madder he got. Mad at Bruce, mad at himself, and yes, even mad at Starfire. Mad at Starfire because she was right. This _was_ all about proving to Bruce that he was right. But he _was_ right: about Fredo, about the little girl, and about Starfire. _Especially_ about Starfire. "Dammit, Bruce," he muttered under his breath, "I love her." He pulled a breath. "You hear that?" he yelled into the room. "I LOVE HER!"

* * *

I have heard your pleas! I know it's been a long time, but this chapter did not want to come out. Part of it was the fact that a lot of it is action, and, well, it's not my favorite thing. That, and I wasn't really sure where I was going with this when I started it. This isn't in my outline, but I wanted something between the last chapter and the next chapter. It was just going to be another little argument between Batman and Robin, just filler, really, but then I got this idea and it wound up becoming a plot point. I think it's going to color the rest of the story.

The good news is the next chapter IS in my outline, so hopefully it will come out a bit faster. The muse works harder when she knows she's loved!


	24. Exposure

_Alas, I did not get to Comic Con. Had I gone, I would not have been a special guest, as I do not own the Teen Titans._

_Chapter 24: Exposure_

_by Lelila_

Robin did his best to pay attention to his research, and he did manage to turn up a few interesting facts he thought might be of use, but his mind kept wandering. At first it had to do with how mad he was at Bruce, but after Starfire stopped by, it changed entirely over to her. How fierce she had looked during combat practice, how she'd held him back from Batman, her gentle logic in speaking with him. She was driving him mad with desire. His arms ached to hold her, his nose itched at the thought of inhaling her scent, his ears rang with the memory of the sound of her voice, his loins pulsed at the idea of her touch. It had been too long since they'd been together, both physically and emotionally. He really missed being totally relaxed around her; able to say anything and act upon his feelings at will. The few frenzied kisses they'd shared the other night were no longer enough. This was now, and his whole body was screaming for her.

Unable to deal with it any longer, he finally gave up and went for a run around the grounds.

TtTtTtT

Starfire, too, was distracted. After leaving Robin, she had gone off in search of her other friends, and had eventually found Cyborg and Beast Boy in the kitchen. They'd made a huge mess "helping" Alfred make lunch. They were bickering about whether some ingredient was vegan or not. Alfred tried to break in now and again, but the boys paid him no mind.

"Princess!" Alfred called over the din. "Do you have any preferences for lunch?"

"Whatever Cyborg is preparing will suffice," she answered.

"Cyborg!" Beast Boy squeaked. "What about me?"

"Well…" Starfire replied slowly. "Cyborg's cooking is usually more… nutritious!"

"What's so nutritious about meat?" Beast Boy demanded. "Tofu has just as much protein, and…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Cyborg cut him off. "We're having salad, ya bean sprout."

"With bacon!"

"Oh, eat around it!"

Starfire sighed, tuning out her friends' familiar squabbling. She felt a tingling at the small of her back, a place where Robin often rest his hand when they were next to each other in common areas. Her body flushed as she remembered the feel of his fingers on her skin. How she longed for his touch, his presence. And while she had a nagging urge to drag him into a bathroom and have her way with him, what she really wanted was to share his company, to sit on the roof the Tower and hold his hand while discussing all of the things she had seen at the party the other night. She wanted to hear his laugh and to see the small smile he always displayed while explaining something to her.

"Boys, please!" Alfred shouted, bursting her reverie. "We will simply leave the bacon out of the main salad and have it available as a topping."

Cyborg and Beast Boy both frowned. "I guess that'll work," Cyborg muttered.

"Master Beast Boy?" Alfred prompted.

Beast Boy sighed mightily. "Okay."

"Very well," Alfred settled the matter. "Princess, if you would be so kind as to fetch Master Robin and Miss Raven? Lunch is being served in the small dining room."

TtTtTtT

Lunch was uneventful with the exception that Robin showed up sweaty. He said little other than he'd gone for a run. He instructed all of them to get some rest after lunch; he expected a long night. He got few arguments and the afternoon was pretty quiet.

The arrival of dusk was a mixed blessing for Robin. On one hand, he wanted to get out on patrol and bring Fredo down, but on the other, he really wasn't looking forward to taking orders from Bruce. He'd kept expecting Bruce to pull him aside and say something about Starfire, but he never did. As it was, he was even more surprised to find himself teamed up with her and Raven. Batman sent them to an older area of the city that had a lot of locally-owned pubs and restaurants.

"How charming!" Starfire commented when she saw the brick buildings and cobblestone streets.

"If you like this sort of thing," Raven droned.

"There are actually some really good restaurants around here," Robin put in.

"Perhaps we could visit one?" Starfire inquired.

"Are you still hungry?" Raven asked bluntly. "You ate almost as much as Cyborg did at dinner."

"No, I am not feeling the hunger," Starfire replied. "I had hoped we could perhaps do the 'hanging out' at some time when we are not patrolling."

Robin looked back at her, a sad frown on his face. "Sorry, Star," he answered. "We'll all go out for pizza once we get back to Jump City, I promise." He paused, pursing his lips and looking around the skyline from his perch on the roof of a shorter building. "However…" He dropped off the edge, firing a line across an alleyway to the building next door. He landed softly, the _zzzzzzt_ of his tether rewinding louder than his footfalls. He took a couple of long strides and crouched behind a dumpster.

"Robin?" the girls called together. Starfire giggled. Raven rolled her eyes.

Robin flashed a grin up at them and waved them down. After joining him, they waited in silence for several long minutes, Raven using her powers to zap a few annoying flies. Finally, a door opened on the other side of the dumpster.

"Ah, he is still here," Robin breathed. "Hey, Angelo!" he called.

The paunchy, middle-aged man that had emerged threw himself against the wall, holding the garbage he was carrying in front of him as if it could protect him. "It's just trash, I swear!" he moaned in fear.

"Angelo, it's me, Robin," the hero soothed as he stepped from behind the dumpster. "It's okay."

"Robin…really?" The man visibly relaxed as Robin got closer to him. "I heard you was back in town."

"For a little while," Robin confirmed. "What's the news?"

Angelo shook his head. "Not good, I'm afraid. Why don't you come in for a cannoli and I'll tell you about it?"

"Great. But have you got a couple extra?"

TtTtTtT

A few minutes later the three Titans found themselves in a small, grubby office that smelled of stale cigar smoke and cheap whiskey. Angelo left them briefly to get "some of our best cannolis."

"Who's he?" Raven whispered once he'd been gone a few seconds.

"Informant," Robin answered simply. "He's okay."

"Are you certain?" Starfire looked worried.

"He's still on Batman's list of trustworthies," Robin replied. "I looked it up this afternoon."

"What's in it for him?" Raven asked bluntly.

Robin frowned. "He's a good man surrounded by very powerful men who do things he knows are wrong. He's doing what he can by slipping a little information to Batman – and me. He doesn't dare talk to the police."

Angelo bustled back in with a plate piled high with pastries. "You're in luck," he said with a smile. "We had a big party cancel at the last minute, so we have lots of extra sweets." He set the plate on the desk and the Titans each helped themselves.

Robin swallowed a large bite and started again. "Still the best in town," he grinned. "So what have you heard?"

Angelo shook his head sadly. "Not much good, Robbie-boy. You think things was bad before you left…" He shook his head again.

"What specifically?" Robin prompted.

"Everyone lives in fear," Angelo whispered. "Ever since Fredo had that totem lifted, strange things have been goin' down."

"Strange how?"

"Like…people acting strange. The Boss, Fredo," Angelo paused, looking around. "He hasn't been the same. He was always really kind to people; he'd apologize as you was bein' whacked. But now...he snips at everybody, and if you don't make him happy, you'd best watch out."

"Watch out for what?" Robin prompted.

"Bad things...worse than before. A lot of broken bones, but they don't heal right. And burns...disfiguring painful burns. And people disappearing..."

"Um, no offense, but isn't that what normally happens in the mob?" Raven asked.

Robin hissed a shush at her.

"No, it's okay," Angelo held up a hand. "She's right, of course, to an extent, anyway. But this has been different. When those things happened before, you always kind of knew why and how and who, though nobody talked about it. But now...people wake up with broken arms, they snap ribs leaning across the bar, they get horrific burns from walking in the rain. And the disappearances...Somebody always knows where people go, even if it's supposed to be very hush-hush. But now, people vanish into thin air. And a lot of them don't even have hits out on them."

Robin's brow creased. "Are any innocent citizens involved?"

"There have been a few. And some cops, too. But mostly people with ties to the Family."

Robin shook his head. "I've dealt with supernatural stuff before, but this is a new one." He turned to Raven. "Does this ring any bells?"

"Nothing specific. But I would say with 95% certainty that it's a curse of some kind."

"Yes, but who's casting it?" Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "These civilians...did they have any link to Fredo at all?"

Angelo shrugged. "I think they've all eaten here."

Robin pursed his lips. "Did Fredo get mad at any of them?"

"Probably. He seems to get mad at everybody these days."

Robin nodded and opened his mouth to respond. Before he was able to, there was a knock at the door.

"Ang?" a voice called. "What's goin' on in dere?"

Angelo's eyes grew wide with fear. "That's Tony," he whispered tightly. "Anything he knows, Fredo knows."

Robin raised a hand. "It's okay," he whispered back. "Thanks, Angelo. Raven." He glanced at her. She knew what to do and flung her cloak around her teammates, transporting them back out to the alley.

TtTtTtT

They patrolled a bit, theorizing about what Angelo had said as they did. Raven thought that Fredo was cursing people somehow. Whether it was related to the totem or not, she couldn't tell.

They'd made a complete sweep of the neighborhood and were back in the general area of the restaurant when they heard a scuffle. After a quick search of nearby alleyways, they spotted two rather large men beating up a smaller third. Robin glanced at both the girls and they all gave short nods signifying understanding of what to do.

Again Robin dropped off the edge of the roof, using his zip line to control his fall. He swung into one of the attackers, kicking him away from his quarry. Starfire flew in from the opposite angle, punching the other thug with all of her alien strength. He dropped like a crash test dummy. Raven hovered near, waiting to see if she would be needed.

Robin turned to see where the victim was. "Angelo?"

"I'm okay," the older man replied. "I've had black eyes before."

Robin offered him a hand to help him to his feet. "You get found out?" he asked quietly.

Angelo nodded. "I'm sorry, Robbie-boy."

"If I was you, I'd stay down," a menacing voice called from overhead.

The heroes heads shot skyward. Five more goons stood on the edge of the rooftop, all of them brandishing bats or tire irons.

"Tire irons? Really?" Raven asked dully. "How old school." She grabbed all of their weapons with her powers, twisted them together and dropped them into a nearby dumpster.

"This is going to get messy," Robin told Angelo. "You have someplace safe you can go?"

He nodded. "Thanks, Robbie-boy." He limped off.

"You should have recycled that metal, Friend Raven," Starfire said sweetly over her shoulder as she rose up to roof level. "Um, Friends..." she called as she got there, the mirth in her voice gone.

Raven joined her altitude and quickly pulled out her communicator. "Yeah, we're gonna need backup," she answered to Cyborg's greeting.

Her call for help was due to the legion of bruisers on the roof. Well, perhaps "legion" is too big a word, but there were a _lot._ The roof was crowded with them. They held a variety of weapons: bats, golf clubs, a few guns, a couple even had torches.

Robin's head popped over the edge of the roof as his tether wound up. He frowned as he crawled over the edge. "Who sent you?" He demanded, taking his battle-ready stance.

"Oh, we think you know, Bird Boy," the nearest mobster snarled as he swung his bat and let it fall into his hand. "The Boss don't like that you're still snoopin' around."

"I told him I was going to investigate," Robin declared.

"Yeah, and you ain't found nothin' have you?"

Robin cocked his head. "Should I have?"

A goon that was a few steps back snarled: "This ain't no negotiation. Let's get 'em."

An assenting cheer went up and they were rushed from all sides. Starfire and Raven were quickly able to rise above the crowd and engage from overhead. Robin was doing a decent job of keeping his attackers at bay, but Starfire hung close and made a point of zapping anybody that looked like they were going to assail him from behind. Raven was pulling weapons from the hands of the crowd and using them as make-shift handcuffs by using her powers to twist them around the thugs' hands and arms.

Thankfully, help quickly arrived. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Batgirl landed on the roof near Raven. "Who said ya'll could start without us?" Cyborg asked with a smile.

"You'll have to ask them," Raven replied as she used her powers to flip a guy that was running toward them, tire iron at the ready. "I was perfectly happy waiting for you."

"I didn't know you could do happy, Rae," Beast Boy smirked. Before Raven could reply, a gangster bonked him over the head with a bat. It was a glancing blow, thankfully, as Cyborg blasted the guy off the roof with his sonic cannon just as he was striking.

"Ow!" Beast Boy rubbed his head.

"BB!" Batgirl called as she kicked another guy in the head. "You okay?"

"Yeah. That's another bruise, though."

"See this?" Raven asked. Beast Boy looked up to see her usual blank expression. "This is my happy face."

The fight turned into an all-out melee. The gangsters seemed to be multiplying. Raven, Robin and Batgirl were tying them up as quickly as they or the the others were able to disarm and/or disable them, but they were either being set free by others or new ones were appearing, as the numbers never seemed to go down. Robin was running out of zip-ties and his hands were starting to hurt from all the punches he landed. But they could win this fight; they had to.

Robin had just flipped a tall goon and pushed him over onto his stomach with his foot and was sitting on his back to secure his hands behind him when his communicator beeped. "...the hell?" he muttered. He quickly zipped the guy's hands together and pulled out his T-Com. "Robin."

"Get off the roof," Batman's voice responded. "If you fly, get as high as you can. You have one minute."

Robin knew better than to question at this point. He climbed to his feet and looked around to survey his options. Before he had a chance to decide, Starfire called from overhead. "Robin!" She held out her hands and Robin quickly grabbed them. She shot straight up.

"Star!" Robin yelled at her. "Get away from the building!" She nodded and started out over the bay.

They hadn't gone very far when a concussion grenade not unlike the one Batman had set off in his practice with them, only bigger, went off. Robin felt the shock-wave ripple through him and he swung in Starfire's grip. They hung over the bay for a few minutes to make sure that Batman wasn't going to try something else, and then headed back.

They dropped to the roof among the bodies of a lot of knocked-out gangsters. "Are they...dead?" Starfire asked, looking worried.

"No," Batman's voice rumbled behind her. "Cyborg and Batgirl and doing a sweep with the medical scanners to make sure, but none of their injuries should be life-threatening."

Robin frowned mightily. "How can you guarantee that? There are always variables you can't control when it comes to explosions."

"I've tested this over and over," Batman replied evenly. "It wouldn't kill a dog."

"We just had a big fight here!" Robin charged. "There are injured people on this roof! What if your little toy made those injuries worse and turned them into fatal wounds?"

"It won't."

"You're playing with people's lives! How dare you..."

Their argument was cut off by the sound of Cyborg's sonic cannon. They looked back to see that a lot of the goons were recovering their senses and several had gotten to their feet.

"We'll discuss this later," Batman snapped, pulling a Batarang from his belt and running in Cyborg's direction.

Robin growled in frustration, but took a breath and looked around to asses the situation. A scream from behind him made the decision which direction he was going. "Starfire!"

A thug with a torch had grabbed Starfire from behind, his arm around her shoulders. "Let her go!" Robin shouted as he ran towards them. Starfire struggled, but was able to flip her attacker forward over her shoulder to land on his back on the roof in front of her, knocked out from the impact. Robin skidded to a stop next to her, only to find her frantically patting her chest. Her top had caught fire from the goon's torch. "Ah...Robin!" she squealed.

"It's okay, I got it." He pulled his cape from his back and wrapped it tightly around her, snuffing out the flames. "You okay?" he asked.

"I believe so," she panted. "Is the fire extinguished?"

"It should be." He let the cape slip from her shoulders to look. "Yeah...it's out. But your top is pretty much ruined."

"I have others...Robin!" Starfire flew straight up, leaving Robin still holding his cape in his hands. He heard the crack of her starbolts before he was able to turn to look.

A goon landed at his feet, knocked out from the starbolt. Starfire hung in the air, several feet off the ground, starbolts lit, eyes aglow, and her bare breasts exposed for all to see.

Time seemed to slow down for Robin as he heard a wolf-whistle pierce the air. The clatter of tire-irons hitting concrete joined the sound. More catcalls rose. The sounds of battle died.

"Titans, round them up!" Batman barked. "Starfire, stay put!"

The last of the awake henchmen were quickly bound. Robin waited as long as he could bear before grabbing Starfire's ankle and pulling her down and wrapping his cape around her again. The rest of the Titans began to gather around them.

"That was the best distraction ever!" Beast Boy declared. Starfire blushed.

"I wouldn't be brave enough to try that," Batgirl said.

Raven placed a hand on Starfire's shoulder. "You'll need some healing. Do the burns hurt?"

"Not much. Thank you, Friend Raven." She turned to look at Robin, who had a deep scowl on his face and his hands balled into fists. "Robin, are you the okay?"

"I'm fine. But we need to talk about redesigning your uniform."

* * *

Whew, I found the end. This was another chapter that just didn't want to come out. I knew what had to happen, but I didn't know how to make it happen. Another combat scene. Hrmm.

Anyway, I want to thank everybody who keeps prodding me to update. Please know I'm always thinking about this and trying to find time to work on it. Being a grown-up kinda sucks sometimes. Keep reading and reviewing; the muse _lives_ for reviews and works harder when she gets a lot!

A heads up: the next chapter's going to be hard and take some time, so please be patient. I AM working on it, I promise!

Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to lovesofkory88 (http:/ lovesofkory88 . Deviantart . Com/) in thanks for her adorable illio of _Falling I: Chapter 6: Strange Dreams _(http:/ www . Fanfiction . Net / s / 2510814 / 6 / Falling) called _A Kiss for the Winner_. Check it out here: http:/ lovesofkory88 . Deviantart . Com / # / d2uj7bs (You know the drill with the links; take all the spaces out and they'll work.)


	25. By Mutual Agreement

_Teen Titans belongs to DC Comics. I'm not them and am making no money, so don't bother with the lawyers._

_Chapter 25: By Mutual Agreement_

by Lelila

The mood in the BatCave was tense as Alfred and Raven began to examine everyone's wounds. Luckily, there wasn't anything worse than scrapes and bruises, save for Starfire's burns. She sat on an examining table in the Batcave's infirmary, covered by Robin's cape. She was keeping her eyes on said Boy Wonder as Alfred tended a scrape on his chin.

Raven touched Alfred's arm. "Don't bother. I can heal him."

"It's nothing," Robin snapped. "Heal Starfire."

"She's going to take the most energy, so I'm keeping her for last." Raven gently touched Robin's wound with her fingertips. He flinched slightly. She chanted a few words and the skin closed.

Batman watched silently, all while rubbing his wrist. "Would you like me to heal that?" Raven asked him.

He frowned at her.

"Your wrist," she said simply. "I can heal it."

Batman didn't say anything for a long time. "Will you have enough energy for Starfire?" he finally asked.

"It's not broken, is it?"

"No."

"Then it should be fine."

Again Batman paused. "Very well."

Raven took his arm in her hand and chanted a few words. She let go after only a moment. "You just twisted it," she explained. "It should be fine now."

Batman flexed his wrist. "Thank you," he said simply.

"You're welcome," Raven drolled. She switched her attention to Beast Boy, who was turning some interesting shades of purple.

"Your joint, it is better?" Starfire asked.

Batman nodded slowly. "You have quite a resource in Raven."

"Oh yes, Raven is a good friend."

Batman nodded again. "And your resources…do you consider this among them?" He fingered the hem of Robin's cape.

Starfire looked at him blankly. "Robin's uniform?"

Batman frowned. "No. Your…anatomy."

Starfire pulled Robin's cape more tightly around herself. "I will use whatever is at my disposal to defeat our adversaries. You disapprove?"

"In theory, no. But there need to be some guidelines…"

"Bullshit!" Robin snapped from nearby. "You know you only have one rule!"

"True," Batman nodded. "But I have many guidelines. You know that."

"You don't bother to follow them!" Robin fired back.

"They are guidelines, not rules," Batman replied evenly. "They can be ignored if it serves the greater good."

"Then why do you criticize me?" Starfire broke in. "This was not planned. The only reason I rose from the roof was to defend Robin. And on Tameran nudity would not have been considered a distraction."

"You need to know your enemy," Batman's jaw had started to tense. "We're not on Tameran."

"And yet you took advantage of the situation," Starfire pointed out.

Batman frowned. "My point in this is that is not a maneuver you should be using regularly."

"Or what?" Robin demanded, but Starfire held up a hand.

"Who are you to dictate how we engage our adversaries? You are Robin's mentor, not mine. And you are not a member of our team." She paused, staring at him, a fierce look on her face. "However," she continued after a moment, "we are working with you on this mission, and if you do not wish for me to expose my breasts in public while we are here, I will respect that."

Batman seemed at a loss for words. "Thank you," he finally said, coolly. He headed for the stairs, grunting "Talk to her," at Robin as he passed.

Starfire saw Robin's shoulders tense, and she expected another outburst. But he quickly relaxed and a grin slowly crept over his face. "Oh, I will," she heard him mutter to himself.

TtTtTtT

Starfire's burns had actually been a fairly easy heal for Raven. She didn't need to touch her and was able to perform the magic through Robin's cape. Starfire was grateful for the relief of her pain but was a bit bothered by how sensitive her skin remained. Showering was quite uncomfortable. But toweling off and slipping into her nightclothes lit up her senses in a not un-pleasurable way. She exhaled a shaky breath as the tingles cascaded through her. She flopped onto her bed and tried to relax and ignore her body.

But the tingling continued with every breath she took. When she closed her eyes, she could imagine it was Robin caressing her. Her mind filled with images of him from this evening's battle. He had been impressive as always: agile, flexible, strong. He'd fought smart _and_ hard. And she'd almost lost him again tonight; that goon she'd taken out after she'd been burned had been closer to Robin than she'd liked. That made her angry. What made her more angry was the fact that the Batman had insinuated that she should not have saved him. She frowned, a Tamaranian curse flitting through her mind. He was _not_ her leader. She was beginning to understand Robin's feelings.

Speaking of Robin, she'd only gone along with his subterfuge regarding their relationship because he wished it. If it were up to her, she'd be with him now. And she wanted to be. She wanted to hold him, to prove to herself that he was there and all right. And she wanted _him_ to cause her skin to tingle, not the remains of some wound.

She heaved a mighty breath and a shiver ran through her as the movement of her pajama top over her skin sent tingles through her again. "_**Givlyjod,"**_ she swore to herself in Tamaranian. It was obvious to her now that the Batman was no better than any of the rest of them. Robin had no good reason for hiding anything from him. He wasn't worth it.

Angry and a bit aroused, she ignited a starbolt for light and headed across the hall, intent on telling Robin her thoughts about the Batman. To her surprise, she met him, clad only in boxers and a tank top, in the middle of the corridor on his way to her room. "Robin?"

"Come on," he said gruffly, grabbing her arm and pulling her back towards his room. Starfire extinguished her starbolt and trotted after, a bit confused.

"Robin?" she repeated softly as they entered his room, which was lit only by a low-wattage bedside lamp.

He responded by yanking her against himself and kissing her ravenously. Starfire heard the door snick shut behind her, pushed with just enough force by Robin.

Initially taken off guard, Starfire quickly responded, arching against him as his free hand slid up her back.

"You were so sexy taking out those goons tonight," he breathed between nips against her skin. "And telling Bruce off like that…" He hummed low in his throat, a grumble that sounded something like a growl. "I've missed you so much…"

"I have missed you as well, _**Dpi'syr**_…" She was cut off as his lips crashed against hers again.

Robin's passion was zealous. Starfire could barely keep up with him. He laved his tongue down her neck and over her chest, stopping just long enough to rip open the front of her top, sending the buttons flying...

TtTtTtT

"_Robin, wake up!"_

The voice sounded in Robin's head, and at first he thought he was dreaming. He blinked his eyes halfway open, and, realizing he was still entangled in Starfire's embrace, snuggled in for some mostly-asleep cuddling.

"_Robin, get up!"_

That was Raven's voice in his head. And he wasn't dreaming.

His eyes shot open, his entire body going rigid. Starfire unconsciously took this as a hug and nuzzled against him. His body started to respond to her, but he squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated. _"What is it, Raven?"_

"Alfred's on his way down the hall. You might want to get Starfire out of there."

Remembering Alfred's words from the other morning, Robin pulled himself from Starfire's arms. "Starfire, wake up," he whispered loudly, shaking her a little. He sucked in a breath as pain shot through the hand he'd nudged her with.

Starfire murmured something unintelligible and snuggled into his chest.

Before Robin could attempt to wake her again or examine his hand, there was a soft tap at the door. Swearing to himself, he scanned the room for his boxers. He spotted them barely hanging from a dresser knob. Diving for them, he pulled them on as he dashed for the door, both of his hands aching as he did so. Making sure he positioned himself between the bed and the door, he cracked it, and felt his shoulders fall in relief when he saw Raven standing there.

"I thought Alfred was coming," Robin muttered.

"I 'suggested' Beast Boy chat him up," Raven answered simply. She pushed past him into the room and headed for the bathroom, pausing long enough to incline her head to indicate to him that he should follow. He did, shutting the door behind them, hissing in pain as he let go of the knob. Finally getting a moment to examine them, he found his hands to be misshapen and covered in blood. Robin grimaced.

"What were you doing last night?" Raven sounded irritated as Robin entered the bathroom.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Come _on_, Raven..."

"No, I'm serious. That was a lot more intense than your usual...affections. You kept me awake." She frowned and then hissed, "I blew out half the light bulbs on this floor."

Robin felt the blush drip down his ears and over his neck. "I...I'm sorry. It was pretty...intense," Robin echoed, at a loss for a better word.

"I didn't even feel you get hurt. You're covered in blood. How did you do this?"

Robin started. "I'm what?" He turned to look in the full-length mirror that hung on the back of the door. He caught a glimpse of streaks down his back and found his face, shoulders and chest to be smeared. He looked at his hands again; there were big gouges on the backs. "Holy..."

"Do I want to know how this happened?" Raven queried.

"It...it wasn't like that," Robin stammered. "It was just...really...intense..." he repeated again. "We...we were holding hands...she must have..." He looked up at Raven, his eyes filled with panic. "Quick, you have to heal me!" He held out his hands.

Raven frowned. "You expect me to clean up your mess?"

"What?" Robin sputtered, his agitation becoming visible. "Raven, you know the situation here..."

"You're the ones that couldn't keep your hands off of each other."

Anger flared through Robin's frenzy. "Look, like I told you, it's none of Bruce's business who I sleep with," he growled through clenched teeth. "But I..." he faltered, looking away. "I kinda promised Alfred..."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you just tell him that this happened last night during the fight?"

"I could, except you healed everybody!" Robin hissed back.

"You know, _Boy_ Wonder, you need to man up and admit this to Bruce," Raven told him as she took his hands. "Or this will blow up in your face."

"Just heal me already," Robin snapped. "He could be here any second."

Raven closed her eyes and muttered a few words. Robin's fingers straightened and the wounds closed. He flexed his hands, finding them a bit stiff, but in otherwise good order. "Thanks."

"You owe me big time," Raven stated in her normal monotone.

A tap was heard from the outside door. Alfred's muffled voice called, "Master Robin?"

"Anything!" Robin hissed. "Once we get home. Now get out of here! And take Star with you!"

"Even bigger," Raven said ominously before disappearing into her cloak.

Robin pulled the door to the bathroom open just in time to see Starfire's and Raven's forms disappear from the bed. He took several long strides and leaped back onto the mattress, discovering the heat from Starfire's body still radiated from it. He allowed himself a moment to revel in that before pulling the bedclothes back over himself. He was horrified to see the sheets streaked with his blood. He was even more aghast to see Starfire's pajamas and underwear in the middle of the room, easily seen from the door.

"Master Robin?" Alfred's voice called again.

"Alfred?" Robin did his best to make his voice sound sleepy.

"May I come in?" the prim voice asked.

"No!" Robin pulled a breath. "Uh...no...I'm...I'm not dressed." He knew that was a lousy excuse, as Alfred had seen him naked on many occasions while treating his wounds. And while the argument could be made that that was years ago, he had also seen him in his boxers only two days ago.

Robin could feel Alfred pause. "Very well," he finally replied. "I merely wish to inform you that breakfast will be served in half an hour."

"Thanks, Alfred, I'll be there."

Robin held his breath for a few moments, expecting Alfred to say something else, but nothing came. Robin exhaled in relief, but a new worry quickly presented itself. What was he going to do about these sheets?

* * *

At last, another update! This idea was another early one, though it's gone through some changes over time, and the tone of it has shifted. I made a point of making the love scene in Starfire's point of view; it seems to me that I always write them from Robin's POV, which is kind of weird as I'm a girl. Though, anatomy notwithstanding, I'm a lot more like Robin than I am like Starfire. (And yes, there's more of it. _**IF**_ you're old enough, go check out _A Night at Wayne Manor and Other Cut Scenes_. But I'm tellin' ya, it's rated M for a reason. Ya can't say you weren't warned.)

Anyway, this is Starfire's answer to chapter 23; it's her turn to be fed up with the situation. But will it lead to anything? You'll have to wait and see! (Muhawhawhaw!) Make with the love; the muse works harder when she gets a steady diet of it!


	26. The Beginning of the End?

_Teen Titans belong to DC Comics. Insert your own snarky comment about not being them here._

_Chapter 26: The Beginning of the End?_

By Lelila

Raven and Starfire materialized onto Starfire's bed. Raven slid away from her alien friend and tossed a pillow at her. "Here, cover yourself."

Starfire frowned. "If you insist. I do not understand why humans are so embarrassed by nudity…" She trailed off. "No," she whispered after a moment. Then she screamed. "NO!"

Raven started and swung around to find Starfire staring at her hands. "What is it?"

"I have harmed him," Starfire again whispered.

Ignoring Starfire's nudity, Raven looked at her friend's hands, finding the fingernails caked in blood. She could feel the terror rolling off of her.

"No, Starfire, it's okay," Raven tried to reassure her. "I healed him. He's fine."

"It does not matter, " Starfire whispered fearfully, still staring at her hands. "I harmed him during the act of _**xiorkw**_."

Knowing what the pair had done, Raven didn't ask for a translation. "He's okay," she repeated. "He didn't think you meant any harm."

Starfire shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She buried her face in her hands. "No," she repeated. "No, no, no, no…"

Before Raven could reassure her friend again, there was a tap on the door. "Princess Starfire? Are you awake?"

Starfire did not look up and continued to murmur "no, no, no" into her hands.

"Starfire!" Raven hissed. "Answer him!"

A shocked look still in her eyes, Starfire raised her head and took a deep breath. "Yyyyyyes, Friend Alfred."

A pause. "Are you quite alright, Your Highness?"

Starfire looked at Raven , fear in her eyes. Raven raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, a look indicating Starfire needed to say something.

"Yes, yes, I am fine, Friend Alfred," Starfire answered a bit too chipperly. "I am merely still fatigued from the battle last night."

"I see. Well, if you feel up for it, breakfast will be served in half an hour."

"I thank you. I shall endeavor to attend."

"Very well."

Starfire closed her eyes and held her breath until she was certain he had gone. When she opened them, Raven was gone as well.

TtTtTtT

Starfire did appear at breakfast, but ate very little. When Robin brushed off her greeting to continue arguing with Batman, it was everything she could do to keep from crying. And when she tried to speak with him after the meal, he brushed her off again, saying he needed to speak with Batman regarding the case. Then she did burst into tears and retreated to the small balcony at the end of their wing.

Raven stopped there briefly, but Cyborg saw her quickly retreat, a scowl on her face.

"You talk to her," Raven hissed at Cyborg as she stalked past.

"Why? What's the matter?"

Raven stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. "You're much better with emotions," she replied tightly before heading down the hall.

"Raven…" he called after her, but was stopped in mid-thought by a loud Starfire sniffle.

Cyborg looked back to the balcony to see Starfire sitting hunched, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. He sighed, and went to see what the matter was. "Hey, Princess. What's up?"

"Oh, Cyborg!" she hastily wiped her eyes and pasted a smile on her face. "Nothing is 'up.'"

Cyborg frowned. "Starfire. Come on now."

"Oh…" Starfire's eyes began to fill again. "There is something very much 'up,' friend Cyborg," she whispered. "But I fear Robin would not wish for me to speak of it as his _**K'norfka**_ may hear me."

Cyborg looked at her knowingly and then opened the control panel on his arm. He poked it a few times and a faint buzz started. "There. That will block any listening devices."

Starfire favored him with a watery smile before breaking down into sobs again. "I fear I have ruined my relationship with Robin," she blubbered.

"I doubt that," Cyborg soothed. "What could you have done that was so bad?"

"I harmed him during the act of _**xiorkw**_," she sobbed. After receiving a blank look from Cyborg, she elaborated: "Lovemaking."

"I thought Robin didn't want to do that while we were here."

"I believed that as well," Starfire hiccupped. "I went to his room last night merely to speak with him, but before I was able to say more than a few words, we were copulating on his bed. I am uncertain how we got there."

"Okaaay," Cyborg broke into her babbling, obviously uncomfortable. "So you did the deed. You said you hurt him? He looks fine. Unless it's below the belt, and then I don't want to know."

"No, it had nothing to do with his belt," Starfire snuffled. "He was not wearing one. It was his hands. I broke his hands. Raven healed them."

"Then he's fine. What's the problem?"

"I have caused him pain!" Starfire wailed. "_**Xiorkw**_ is about love and pleasure. To cause someone pain is to create an adversary. And I…" she stopped short, a sob catching in her throat, her eyes wide and fearful. "I have used him for my own purposes," she whispered. "I have treated him like an object."

"Where are you getting this from?" Cyborg questioned.

"It…it…it is how slaves are treated by their captors," Starfire hiccupped. "We are _**Dpi'syrad**_; we are equal. _**Dpi'syrad**_ do not harm each other!"

"Slaves? What are you…?" Cyborg shook his head. "Did you do it on purpose?"

"No! It was an accident. But it does not matter. It happened."

"I'm sure Robin doesn't think that. Has he said anything?"

Starfire shook her head. "He has said nothing to me. He's been quite distant."

Cyborg smiled patiently. "And that's different from any other day how?"

Starfire sniffled. "What do you mean?"

"We're on a mission, Star," Cyborg reminded her. "You know he gets tunnel vision when he's after a perp."

Starfire shook her head. "No. This is different."

Cyborg frowned. "You sure it's not just different in your head?"

Starfire's eyes grew hard. "Are you mocking me?"

Cyborg put a hand on her shoulder. "Never. I'm just wondering if you're seeing things differently than he does."

"It does not matter how he sees things!" Starfire wailed. "It is the truth."

"Look, Star, if you really feel that strongly about it, then talk to Robin. Apologize if you think you did something wrong. Don't sit here and stress about it; that won't solve anything."

Starfire blinked, her sobs quieting a bit. "Do you think he will forgive me?"

"I don't think there's anything to forgive. But yes, I think he will."

Starfire looked bright for a moment, but then covered her face with her hands again. "I am so ashamed."

"Why? You said you didn't mean it."

"It should not have happened at all! I should have paid more attention. I was too selfish!"

Cyborg sighed. He was beginning to run out of encouragement. "Star, this is something you're gonna have to work out with Rob. But I'm sure it's gonna be okay. Really."

Starfire sniffled. "Perhaps you are correct. Perhaps he will understand. I must speak with him. But…" she sighed. "He will not wish to for his _**K'norfka**_ to hear us." She looked up with hope in her eyes. "Perhaps you could accompany me and use your technology?"

Cyborg made a face. "Star, I really don't want to listen to you and Rob talk about your sex life. And I don't think Rob would want me to, either." He paused, thinking. "Maybe you could talk to him while you're out on patrol tonight."

"Yes!" Starfire noticeably perked up. "We shall be outside of the Batman's surveillance. Robin will certainly be willing to talk then!" She quickly wilted though, and frowned. "I hope."

Cyborg put on a patient face. "You might have to wait until we get home."

Starfire pressed her lips together. "No. It must happen as soon as possible."

Cyborg smiled grimly. "I wish you luck. But I'm sure everything will work out. Rob loves you. Why do you think he's going to all this trouble trying to keep your relationship from Bruce?"

"Because he does not wish to have to explain himself to his _**K'norfka**_?" It was only half a question.

"Probably partly that. But mostly he doesn't want you to get hurt. And we both know Bruce can be a bit of a dick."

Starfire snuffled. "Ironic, as that is Robin's name."

Cyborg smirked. "Yeah, well he earns it often enough too."

"But now I have acted like the dick." Starfire choked back a sob.

Cyborg squeezed her shoulder. "We all do sometimes, whether we mean to or not. Like I said, just apologize and everything should be fine."

"I hope that you are correct," Starfire sniffled, wiping her eyes.

TtTtTtT

Starfire felt a bit better with her decision to talk to Robin during patrol. But she was still very nervous, to the point of not being able to fly. So she began to pace.

Not really paying attention to where her feet were taking her, she found herself in the Batcave. Batman and Robin were there, looking at separate displays on the Bat computer's huge screen. She hung back, just watching them. They seemed to be getting along for once, each pointing out things on the others' display.

Just the sight of Robin caused a wave of shame to wash over Starfire. He may be fine now, but what she had done was inexcusable.

"Robin?" she spoke into the quiet of a lull in the former Dynamic Duo's conversation.

"Is something wrong, Star?" Robin asked without turning around.

"I..." the words stuck in her throat, the fear of what he thought of her nearly paralyzing her. How could she wait until tonight? "I...do not feel well," she finally managed to stutter out. "I believe I have the dyspepsia."

"Talk to Alfred," Robin directed somewhat absently. "I'm sure he's got something that can make you feel better. And get some rest; tonight's shaping up to be very busy."

The first of Starfire's already upset stomachs pushed itself into her throat. He hadn't even looked at her. "I..." she choked. "I will see Alfred," she managed to babble.

"Okay." He still hadn't looked at her.

Starfire ran up the stairs, barely making it into the half-bath off of Bruce's office before emptying what little breakfast she'd had into the toilet. She collapsed in a heap next to the commode, sobbing.

She didn't know how long she laid there crying her heart out; it felt like both an instant and forever. She would have continued had Alfred not appeared in the doorway.

"Princess Starfire! My goodness! Whatever is the matter?"

Starfire lifted her head, brushing her hair out of her face. "Alfred?"

"Yes, Your Highness." He shook his head. "Oh dear, Master Robin mentioned you weren't feeling well." He bustled in past her to the sink. "Here now; wipe your face, rinse out your mouth."

She mutely took the implements offered her, sipping from the cup to rinse the taste of bile from her tongue and dabbing the cool washcloth over her face. She hiccuped a few sobs.

"Good heavens child, whatever could be so troubling?" Alfred asked.

Starfire swallowed. She trusted Alfred, but she also knew his main allegiance was to Batman. "I believe I have the dyspepsia," she told him.

"I can see that. But certainly that doesn't warrant such weeping."

Uncertain how to respond, Starfire shrugged.

Alfred tut-tutted. "No matter. Come along, let's get you feeling better." He helped her to her feet and led her to a small sitting room a few steps down the hall. He directed her to a comfortable armchair and covered her with a soft blanket as she curled into a ball. "Are you ill?"

Starfire hedged, still unsure she could talk to Alfred about such a personal matter. Finally, she came up with what sounded like a reasonable answer. "My body may have rejected something I have eaten."

"The poached eggs this morning?" Alfred frowned. "Well, undercooked eggs can cause problems for some people, and with your alien physiology, who knows? Although, they never seem to bother Master Clark," he pondered.

"Master Clark?"

"Another alien friend of Master Bruce's," he explained. "Although he's not Tameranian, so I suppose the point is moot. Make yourself comfortable; I'll get you some tea."

He returned after a short absence with a small tea service and a plate with a couple of pieces of dry toast. "Chamomile," he said as he handed her the cup. "It should settle your stomach and help you relax."

She accepted the tea with a small smile of thanks. He stood quietly behind her as she sipped, insisting that she eat at least one piece of toast. She managed to get through it, as well as a cup and a half of tea. Feeling quite drowsy as she put her cup down, she asked: "May I sleep here, Friend Alfred?"

"Certainly, Your Highness. I'll check on you before dinner."

Starfire nodded her thanks and drifted off.

She slept fitfully on and off all day. Whenever she woke, she found fresh tea and toast on the side table. She sipped and nibbled sporadically and did her best to stay asleep. Sleeping accomplished two things: it kept her from feeling ill with worry and it made time pass faster. The sooner she could be alone with Robin, the better.

As the afternoon wore on, she managed to fall into a deeper sleep. She dreamt that she and Robin were sparring, and while they seemed pretty evenly matched, the longer they fought, the bloodier Robin got, while Starfire remained spotless. He finally fell to his knees, holding his sides. "Starfire," he groaned. "Look at what you've done to me!" He held out his blood-covered hands and looked up at her, his eyes growing hard. "How could you?" He coughed; his voice grew strained. "I thought you loved me..." He fell over, dead.

"I did!" Starfire protested. "I do love you! Robin!"

She awoke with a start, gasping. "Robin!"

"No, Your Highness, it's Alfred." The Englishman placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you wish for me to fetch him?"

"Oh, Alfred!" Starfire took a couple of breaths, attempting to slow her rapid heartbeat. "No, thank you. I merely had an unpleasant dream."

"I am sorry to hear that. Are you quite alright now?"

"I...I believe so."

"Good. Do you think you are well enough to join us for dinner?"

As awful as she still felt, Starfire realized she was very hungry, and if she were to be at her best on patrol this evening, she needed to eat. She nodded and followed Alfred to the dining room.

TtTtTtT

Dinner was uneventful; Batman and Robin did not attend. Starfire's other friends were kind to her and Beast Boy even succeeded in making her laugh. By the time the evening briefing started, she felt much more like herself. And she was itching to get out there, to talk to to Robin and to work off some of the nervous energy she'd built up.

During the meeting, Batman told them about several good leads they'd turned up in their research that day. "We think we know where the real totem is being kept," he explained. "We also know the probable whereabouts this evening of several key players in Fredo's organization. If we do this the right way, we'll be able to take down Fredo and recover the totem tonight.

"You'll divide up into three teams of two. I've sent information on your targets to your communicators. Cyborg, you and Beast Boy have Fabiano Santorini, Fredo's personal bodyguard. Get him to talk if you can, but more importantly, take him out of the action. Turn him over to the police, if that's the best you can come up with.

"Robin and Raven, you two take 'Anemic' Oscar Costa, Fredo's right hand man. He probably knows more about Fredo's operations than Fredo does. If anybody can tell you what Fredo's trying to pull with this whole 'going straight' scheme, it's him.

"Batgirl, you and Starfire are going to recover the totem. There's a map and information about security in the information I sent you."

"What about you?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm taking down Fredo," Batman answered simply.

Raven looked at Robin. "You okay with this?"

"We decided it was best," Robin frowned. "I'd rather do it myself, but Batman is Gotham's protector; he needs to be the main hero in this to keep his reputation. I hate it, but half of what makes Batman able to do what he does is how scared the goons on the street are about him."

"I would like to suggest a change in the teams," Starfire broke in, sounding very determined. "I believe I would be better suited to aid Robin in his task. Perhaps Raven could accompany Batgirl."

Batman said nothing, only looking over to Robin.

"We talked about this, Star," Robin told her. "We really need Anemic Oscar to talk. Raven's much better at that kind of thing."

"No," Starfire shook her head emphatically. "Her methods are different, but I can be quite good at the intimidation."

Beast Boy tried to hide a laugh, and failed miserably.

"Shut it, ya little grass stain," Cyborg hissed at him.

"What is the funny?" Starfire demanded.

"Well, Star, it's just, you're a lot of things," Beast Boy tried to explain, "and you kick bad guy butt better than most, but intimidating? I've seen laundry baskets more intimidating than you!"

"That's only because you go six months between laundry days," Raven droned at him.

"Hey!"

"Stop it, all of you!" Robin shouted. "Starfire, the teams were decided for very specific reasons. You're to go with Batgirl. That's final."

Starfire's eyes grew hard for a moment, but then she seemed to wilt, almost physically growing smaller. "If that is what you wish," she replied, barely above a whisper.

Raven and Cyborg exchanged a look. "Robin, maybe I should go with Batgirl to get the totem," Raven said after a moment. "It might be magically shielded or..."

"No," Robin cut her off. "I considered everything in deciding these teams, including who works best with whom; this is what's going to give us the best chance at this."

"If Robin does not wish to be with me, then I understand," Starfire said, a hard edge cutting through the resignation in her voice. "Come, Batgirl. Let us recover this totem." She stood from her seat, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath, gathering her strength. When she opened her eyes, they burned green with starbolt energy. "We will succeed," she declared resolutely before she flew off into the bowels of the Batcave, Batgirl running to keep up.

* * *

Standard apologies for the wait. I don't have any new excuses. Oh, wait, yes I do. I've been working on some other things at the same time, including another installment of the _Voyeur_ series. Hopefully that will be out soon.

Not sure how I feel about this one. I wanted to make it very clear that Starfire thinks she's done a terrible, terrible thing and that Robin hasn't given her the time of day to talk about it. It feels both drawn out and rushed in places. Hrm. Well, why don't you leave me a review and let me know what you thought of it?

P.S. No prize if you figure out who Master Clark is.


	27. Captured

_Batman and the Teen Titans belong to DC Comics. I'm not them. If I were, there wouldn't be 26 new No. 1s in September._

_Chapter 27: Capture_

_by Lelila_

Batgirl ran after Starfire, calling her name. She fired a magnetic line at the hatch to the surface; it clanged in front of the alien just as she reached the portal, stopping her short.

"Why do you halt me?" Starfire demanded.

Batgirl swung to reach her. "Because I needed to catch up to you. We are a team, you know."

"We may be a team, but I will not be held back by your tardiness."

"Tardiness?" Batgirl huffed. "Just try to keep up!" She yanked her line back, pulled the hatch open and shot it again, flying off into the night. Starfire zipped after her.

After an initial burst of speed in which she overtook Batgirl, Starfire slowed a bit to allow her to keep up.

A few blocks into their travel, Batgirl asked out of the blue: "You and Robin have a fight?"

"Why do you believe that?" Starfire questioned, trying to guard her emotions.

"Just the way you were acting back there. You seemed pretty insistent on going with him," Batgirl replied, alighting on a roof.

Starfire, a few feet ahead of her, stopped and hung between two buildings. "We did not exactly have the fight," she answered, a little hesitantly. "It is...complicated."

Batgirl smiled knowingly. "I sympathize. I've had my share of boy troubles. But, can I give you some advice?" Starfire nodded after a moment's hesitation. "Once the cape and cowl go on – or, in your case, the uniform – none of that can exist. You need to stay focused."

Starfire frowned. "You sound like Robin. I can assure you that that nothing will interfere with my desire to end this mission and prove myself worthy."

Batgirl looked askance, but let the statement go. "Okay then. You willing to follow me on this?"

"I am at your disposal."

Batgirl grinned. "Then let's go."

TtTtTtT

In a swanky penthouse hidden in a nondescript building in downtown Gotham, Alfredo Hemiola took a report from his majordomo, "Anemic" Oscar Costa.

"The Bird's been spotted," Anemic Oscar said. "He's with one of the brats from Jump City."

Fredo downed the glass of scotch he'd been working on and pulled a cigar from the humidor on his desk. "Which one?" he asked as he trimmed the end.

"The witch, we think."

"Hrm," Fredo pondered as he puffed on the cigar while lighting it. "Take care with that one. She can be tricky." He settled into his huge leather desk chair, inhaling deeply on his cigar. "If the Bird's out, then so is the Bat. Any sign of him?"

"Not yet."

"And the girl?"

"No. She doesn't always go out with them."

Fredo poured himself another drink. "No matter. I'm not that worried about her." He looked up for the first time, smiling ruefully. "Tonight's the night, Oscar. You know what to do."

Anemic Oscar nodded. "And the Titans?"

Fredo swallowed his drink. "Get rid of them. I don't care how."

"Details?"

"I don't want to know them."

TtTtTtT

Cyborg and Beast Boy made their way along the rooftops of Gotham's poorest neighborhood. "Man, I miss the T-Car," Cyborg groused as they came to the edge of another building. "This building hopping is really tedious."

"I think it's cool," Beast Boy remarked before turning into a pterodactyl and grabbing Cyborg's shoulders. "It's very spy movie," he finished after they landed on the next building.

"Yeah, well, you ain't James Bond," Cyborg pointed out. "Besides, Bond would find a way to pull up in his Aston Martin and still get in and out undetected."

"Why can't we just fly again?" Beast Boy asked as they landed on yet another roof.

"Because it would increase the chances we'll be spotted," Cyborg explained, sounding bored. "Do you ever pay attention in those briefings?"

"I try to," Beast Boy answered as he climbed atop a large stack vent to get a look around. "But they're usually really boring. This is much more fun."

"Maybe so, but it can be even more fun when you know what you're doing."

"If you say so, Dude. Hey!"

"What?"

Beast Boy didn't answer. Instead, he turned into an owl and flapped away.

"Hey! Where you goin'?"

Beast Boy hooted and landed two roofs over. He then changed into an eagle and swooped down between buildings. He returned to the vent and changed back to a human. "Dude, Dude, bring up the pic of the guy we're after!" he pestered.

Cyborg made an annoyed face but poked at his arm. "Here," he said, holding out the limb so Beast Boy could see the display.

"That's him!" Beast Boy crowed. "I just saw that guy go into the building next door."

"Yeah?" Cyborg peered over the edge of the roof. "He's early." He adjusted the view of his artificial eye. "There are a couple of extra grunts in there but it doesn't look like anything we can't handle." He held out a hand. "C'mon, let's go."

Pterodactyl Beast Boy grabbed the offered limb and lowered them to the ground, landing behind some garbage cans. "So, what's the plan?" he whispered as he changed back.

"Gimme a minute," Cyborg grumbled as he surveyed the scene. "What are they doing in there?" he muttered as he re-adjusted his vision. The building appeared to be an abandoned diner, the kitchen gutted and most of the booths in disrepair. With the help of some infra-red vision, Cyborg could see that there were several tables pushed together in the center of the room. "It looks almost like a speakeasy, only we're a hundred years too late."

"Speakeasy?"

"Illegal bar. Learn your history."

"You've been hangin' out with Batman too long," Beast Boy muttered.

Cyborg eyed him. "So suddenly Batman's not cool?"

"Of _course_ Batman's cool," Beast Boy argued. " But he doesn't…" he paused, thinking. "I mean…"

"Uh huh," Cyborg challenged. "It's not just about the toys."

Beast Boy crossed his arms and groused. He sat in irritated silence as Cyborg changed settings on his eye again.

"Well then," Cyborg said after several minutes. "Not a speakeasy. A gambling den."

"Den?" Beast Boy peeked over the cans. "Do you want me to turn into a bear?"

Cyborg groaned. "Did you take stupid pills tonight? No, I don't want you to turn into a bear!" He shook his head in exasperation. "Okay. There's no way we're going to be able to sneak in there. So, we're goin' to have to storm the place. Remember, we just want to detain them. You ready?"

Beast Boy turned into a grizzly and gave a thumbs-up.

"Smartass," Cyborg mumbled. "Let's go."

Beast Boy took a running start at the door, easily knocking it down. Cyborg charged in after him. "Put down the cards and put your hands up!" he ordered. "It'd be a shame to go wreckin' this lovely building."

"Who the hell are you?" one of the thugs sneered as about five others pointed their guns at them.

"We're the Teen Titans," Cyborg answered as he changed his arm over to his sonic cannon. "And I'd put those away if I were you."

There was a long moment of silence as everyone looked at each other. And then the shooting started. Bullets seemed to come from everywhere.

Beast Boy shrank down to a honeybee and flitted through the shots. Cyborg returned fire, doing his best to shoot around people and disable them by shooting furniture or other surroundings.

Beast Boy changed into several small animals, bouncing off of shoulders and tripping feet. Several of the thugs fell and were quickly covered in falling debris. The bullets kept flying, however; Beast Boy could hear their _tink_ off of Cyborg's armor. He continued to dodge and weave, barely escaping a few shots. He managed to get one of the goons to shoot himself in the foot. Beast Boy wasn't even familiar with some of the obscenities the injured man spewed at him.

"C'mon, Fellas," Cyborg encouraged. "Yer makin' this a lot harder than it needs to be!"

"I don't think so," a voice came from behind them. Before Cyborg could turn, another shot rang out. Something sparked off of Cyborg's back. For a brief moment, Beast Boy didn't think anything of it; it was just another ricochet. But then the lights of Cyborg's circuits began to flicker.

"Cy?" Beast Boy questioned, and then started to panic. "Cy!"

Before anyone could do anything else, Beast Boy turned into a wooly mammoth, picked Cyborg up with his trunk and trampled out of the building. Terrified, he thundered over to a nearby alleyway and gently placed his friend on the ground. He shrank back to his human form and fell to his knees next to him. "Cyborg! Talk to me!"

"B…..B….," Cyborg struggled. He sounded as though he was struggling for breath, but his breathing seemed steady.

"What is it, Buddy?" Beast Boy urged.

"Power…supply…"

"Ohmanohmanohman!" Beast Boy wailed. "WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?"

"A…Al….Alfrrreed…"

"Oh! Rightrightright!" Beast Boy fumbled for his communicator. "Alfred!" he called into it. "Pick up! Cy's hurt!"

"I shall be right there, Young Master," Alfred's calm voice returned.

"Ya hear that, Cy?" Beast Boy attempted to comfort his fallen friend. "Al's on his way."

Cyborg's circuitry just buzzed.

TtTtTtT

Robin crouched on the head of a large gargoyle jutting from a spire of Gotham's largest church, the Cathedral of Saint Jerome. Raven floated in an alcove behind him, hiding inside her hood.

"You doin' okay back there?" Robin asked as he scanned the streets.

"Peachy," answered Raven's monotone. "You know I hate churches."

"You mean your demon half hates churches."

"No, my demon half is afraid of churches, which causes me to lose control and my powers go all wonky. That makes all of me hate churches."

"Well, hold on, we won't be here long," Robin assured. "We just need to wait for Anemic Oscar to come out of confession."

"One wonders what he actually confesses," Raven derided.

Robin snorted. "Probably not the really important stuff." He paused, scanning. "There he is," he said after a moment. "Come on."

They followed their target from the roofs as he walked through downtown. They let him get a block down a relatively quiet residential street before Raven intercepted him by appearing out of the ground. He stopped, visibly startled. "What in the hell…"

Raven's eyes turned red. "Perhaps your worst nightmare," she rasped.

Robin dropped to the sidewalk in front of her. "Relax, Raven," he barked, playing his role as good cop. Her eyes winked out.

Oscar's stunned look changed to an oily smile. "Well, if it isn't Robin and his birdie friend."

Raven's eyes burned red again.

"You got a leash for her?" Oscar taunted.

"Wouldn't matter," Robin replied evenly. "She'd phase right through it."

"Really now," Oscar seemed cooler than he should have been, but then his eyes and voice turned menacing. "And what about you?"

Robin smiled ferally; Oscar was playing with him now; the game was afoot. Robin extended his bo staff between them with a _snick_. "I won't need to escape."

Oscar's smile was equally gamey. "What makes you so sure about that?"

Before Robin could come up with another quip, six large men appeared from the shadows of the nearby buildings. "Raven! Down!" Robin barked as he swung his staff in a wide arc. That drove the goons back a step, but didn't stop their advance beyond that.

Raven, instead of ducking, rose into the air, her arms outstretched, her cloak billowing. "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!" she shouted, focusing her energy through her hands. She blasted two of the men back. Robin was keeping another two busy, but that left two more. Raven saw one of them lift what looked like a pistol and aim it at Robin. "Gun!" she yelled, turning her attention to the would-be shooter. As she was inhaling to chant her mantra again, she felt a sharp sting in her shoulder. She stayed conscious long enough to see the gunman she was watching fire and Robin take a large step back. She felt herself fall as the world went black.

TtTtTtT

Starfire and Batgirl quickly found themselves back in the warehouse district, atop the same building they'd been on earlier that week. Batgirl pulled out her binoculars and peered at the next building; the one that had all the construction going on inside of it. "They work fast," she commented. "There's plaster up on most of the walls."

Starfire landed beside her. "Will that hinder our mission?"

"Hrm…I'm not sure. Maybe. Hopefully they haven't got any security put in yet."

"I am certain we can disable it," Starfire said confidently.

"Yeah, but that's hard to do if you don't know it's there," Batgirl countered. She pulled her belt buckle off and poked at the screen on the back. "Let's see if the eye in the sky knows anything."

"The eye in the sky?"

"Nickname for the satellite Batman uses to gather all kinds of info. It's only borderline legal, but we're not cops, so…" She pressed some controls on the small screen. After a few moments, she frowned. "Nothing. Well, maybe that's good news." She snapped her buckle back on. "You ready?"

Starfire nodded. "What do you think will be the best point of entry?"

Batgirl grinned. "That depends; do you want to be sneaky, or do you want to do the smash-and-grab?"

Starfire didn't hesitate. "I am in the smashing and grabbing mood."

Batgirl laughed. "All righty then!" She pulled her line from her belt. "Let's go."

They landed on the roof in question at nearly the same time. Batgirl wound her line and produced a small grenade. "Explosives or alien strength?" she asked with a grin.

"I believe I will draw less attention," Starfire answered.

"Hm, good point." Batgirl put the grenade back in her belt.

Starfire paced around the roof, kicking some of the gravel aside, examining the structure. "Where do you think it would be best to enter?"

"Closest to the totem, though we don't know exactly where that is." Batgirl tapped her foot in thought. "Maybe halfway between the edge and the center," she said after a moment. "We have no way of knowing where the totem is, but there are sure to be people near the windows and the doors."

Starfire nodded and paced to the edge of the roof before taking a few long steps toward the center. She brushed the gravel away with her feet and plunged her fingers into the asphalt. Grunting, she pulled a large section of the roof open, exposing the interior below. They both peered inside.

"That's a long drop," Batgirl remarked on the three-storey distance between them and the excavated floor.

"I could carry you," Starfire offered. "It may be easier than trying to anchor your line."

Batgirl eyed the hole, and then Starfire. "Okay," she said after a moment. "What do I do?"

"Hold on to my wrist," Starfire replied, extending a hand. "Robin calls it the 'trapeze grip.'"

Batgirl smiled, grasping Starfire's arm. "I'm not the only one who sounds like Robin."

Starfire smiled back and rose into the air.

Batgirl's balance shifted as her feet left the roof, but she didn't flail. They landed without problem on a bare concrete floor thirty feet below.

"Where to now?" Starfire asked.

Batgirl frowned. "Now we're going to have to be sneaky."

Starfire rose a few inches from the floor and pressed a finger to her lips. Batgirl mimicked the motion and made a show of tiptoeing to the door. She peeked around the frame and gestured for Starfire to follow.

They crept through an odd maze of rooms. There were no halls. Some rooms only had one doorway, while others had several. A couple had small pet-door-type openings in them. Batgirl mapped their way on the computer in her belt buckle. They crept through the labyrinth for about ten minutes, making as many observations as they could.

They soon came to a room that actually had a closed door (most to the point had only been empty doorways). Starfire lit a starbolt to blow it open, but Batgirl stopped her with a raised finger. Carefully, she turned the knob. It opened easily. She flashed a grin and poked her head into the room, quickly waving for Starfire to follow.

They slipped into what was the largest room they had been in so far. Unlike the rest of the rooms, this one seemed finished. There was tile on the floor and paint on the walls. And in the center, displayed on a well-lit pedestal, was the totem. It looked exactly like the fake Robin had been given: a tower of local animals topped with a menacing bat. Despite its familiarity, both Starfire and Batgirl were stunned. There was an aura around the thing that demanded awe. "That's gotta be the real thing," Batgirl murmured.

"Agreed," Starfire breathed.

"Okay," Batgirl said after shaking her head to clear it. "I'll grab it, you fly me and it out of here."

"Through the ceiling?"

"Smash and grab," Batgirl grinned.

Starfire nodded her acknowledgment and Batgirl took a step towards the totem. As she raised her hands to reach for it, she heard a yelp. "Starfire?" she called, looking back.

Starfire was slumped in some goon's arms and being dragged from the room. Batgirl took a step towards her, her hand reaching for a Batarang.

But then she felt the sting in her shoulder and the pain in her knees as she fell to the tiled floor. She was unconscious before she finished falling.

* * *

Cliffhanger! Will our heroes survive? What does Fredo actually have planned? What does he know about our heroes plans? Tune in next time, same Bat time, same Bat Channel!

Okay, goofiness aside, I can only apologize again for the long wait between updates. My muse decided to go on vacation and she came back with some awesome things, but most of them didn't have to do with this story! (Bad muse!) Add real life stuff and well...you know the drill.

I know this one's on the short side, but it's all set-up. It will pay off, I promise. Show the muse lots of love, and maybe she'll work a little harder!


	28. Change of Plans

_Batman and the Teen Titans belong to DC Comics. I, however, am not rebooting my universe._

_Chapter 28: Change of Plans_

_by Lelila  
_

With a lot of help from Beast Boy's stronger forms, Alfred got Cyborg back to the medical area of the Batcave. After a quick examination, Alfred called Batman. "I believe this is beyond my expertise, Sir."

Batman frowned. "Call Lucius. I've got to deal with this operation."

"Yes, Sir."

Batman paused before signing off. " Have you heard from any of the others?"

"No, Sir, though I haven't checked. I've been rather busy."

"I haven't either."

"Should we worry?"

Batman paused. "Not yet. Take care of Cyborg; I'll check on the others."

"Yes, Sir." Alfred broke the connection with Batman and quickly dialed Lucius Fox, the man behind a lot of Batman's tech. He needed very little information from Alfred before agreeing to come.

"Is he coming?" Beast Boy asked nervously from the now-unconscious Cyborg's bedside as Alfred returned.

"No, but I have called in perhaps the next best man..." Alfred trailed off.

"Alfred?" Beast Boy was frantic. "Who's coming? Can they help Cy?"

"What is that?" Alfred gestured to a spot near the door. Beast Boy looked up to see a gray smoke slowly forming into...something. "Oh, that's just Raven," he said distantly, still preoccupied with Cyborg. "Raven!" he suddenly realized. "Maybe she can heal him!" He scrambled over to where she was appearing.

"Raven?" he called as he skidded to a halt. "What's the matter?" he asked the incorporeal form. "What's taking so long?" He began to twitch with impatience.

Slowly, much slower than usual, much much slower than Beast Boy liked, Raven appeared and then collapsed to the floor.

"Raven!" Beast Boy cried, falling to his knees beside her, Alfred hovering nearby.

"Did I make it?" she rasped.

"You're in the Batcave," Alfred answered. "Are you injured?"

"I...don't think so," she said slowly as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "I think I was drugged, though."

"Oh my," Alfred said as he helped her to her feet. "Do you know what with?"

Raven shook her head. "Anesthetic, tranquilizer, something. It knocked me out. I'm still pretty…" she trailed off, swaying out of balance. Beast Boy caught her before she fell. "…woozy."

Beast Boy put her back on her feet. "But Raven!" he protested. "Cyborg's hurt! You gotta heal him!"

She looked at him with half-lidded eyes and Beast Boy expected a tart retort. But "Let me see," was all she said.

Beast Boy half-led, half-carried her to Cyborg's side. Resting heavily against Beast Boy, Raven looked Cyborg over before putting a hand on the skin of his face and closing her eyes. "I can't help him," she barely whispered after a moment. "It's all electrical. If I knew what I was doing…"

"It's alright, Mistress Raven," Alfred soothed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I have the best engineer in the city on his way."

"I thought you said Batman wasn't coming," Beast Boy protested.

"He's not," Alfred confirmed. "But what I was unable to tell you before Mistress Raven arrived was that Mr. Lucius Fox, the man behind much of Batman's hardware, is on his way."

Beast Boy took a couple of deep breaths and visibly relaxed a little. "You hear that, Cy? The best in the biz is on his way! You're gonna be fine!"

Before she could add her enthusiasm to Beast Boy's, Raven collapsed to the floor at his feet. "Raven?"

"Bring her over here, please, Master Beast Boy," Alfred called as he bustled over to the other bed in the suite. "She'll need some tending to before she'll be able to help anyone else."

Beast Boy scooped up her slim form and settled her onto the other medical bed. Alfred hooked her up to some monitors and waved a scanner over her.

"Well?" Beast Boy demanded after a tense few moments of beeping by the scanner.

"She'll be fine," Alfred answered, putting down the instrument. "The only abnormality I'm showing is a high level of barbiturates. She just needs time for them to wear off."

"Can't you just give your something to counteract it?" Beast Boy pushed.

Alfred pursed his lips. "Being uncertain what exactly they gave her, it could cause more harm than good."

Before Beast Boy could protest further, Raven began to slowly float off the cot.

"Oh my," Alfred remarked.

"All right Raven!" Beast Boy crowed. "She's healing herself," he explained. "She'll be up in no time!"

"I hope you are correct," Alfred said soberly. "If this is what happened to her, I worry what's happened to Robin."

TtTtTtT

The first thing Robin was aware of was the pain in his wrists. They'd been tied together tightly enough that his fingertips were tingling. The next was the tightness over his mouth; there was tape there. And then the immobility in his arms and legs; they'd been bound to whatever he was sitting on. He fought to breathe, to open his eyes; it was like his body was in slow motion. His brain was sluggish too; he struggled to remember what had happened. He'd been with Raven…where was she? How did he get here? And where was here? Was Raven here too? Why wouldn't his eyes open?

He felt himself start to panic. For a long few moments he couldn't control it; his heart raced, his stomach turned cold, his breath rasped in his chest. He felt himself tremble with fear, something he hadn't done since his early days with Batman.

"_First things first," _ he thought. _"Calm down. We'll work on the rest after that."_

Fighting his hyperventilating, Robin took the deepest breath he could and held it. He only managed a few seconds, but it was enough to regain control. He focused on his breath for a few cycles, willing calm and control to the rest of his body. His brain still felt hazy and his eyes refused to open.

He concentrated on his breath for several minutes, feeling himself gain more and more control. Slowly, he managed to open his eyes.

The room was dark, and his vision was blurry. He blinked several times, trying to get the corners to clear up; he only partially succeeded.

He still couldn't tell where he was; there was only a little light coming in around the door. No matter; he could deal with that after he got out of his bonds.

Fiddling his numb fingers, he managed to extract a small serrated blade from a hidden pouch in one of his gloves. It took a bit of fidgeting, but eventually he was able to cut through whatever it was (it felt like duct tape) that was binding his hands.

He made short work of his bindings after that. "I hate duct tape," he muttered to himself.

Taking a moment to stretch, he then went to examine the door. He only made it two steps when the lights flooded on. Robin squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

"Well, Robin," said a voice seemingly from nowhere. "Now we'll finish what we started three years ago."

TtTtTtT

Batgirl knew exactly what had happened to her the moment the smallest sliver of consciousness entered her brain. She groaned inwardly. _"The oldest trick in the book,"_ she thought. _"Tranquilizer darts."_

Summoning all of her strength, she forced herself awake. While waiting for her vision to focus, she took assessment of herself and her surroundings: she was lying on her side, her hands and feet bound. The light was dim, but she could make out something purple and orange not far from her. "Starfire?" she whispered.

Nothing.

"Starfire?" Batgirl repeated, a little louder.

Still nothing.

Batgirl's vision slowly cleared up and she could see that the form beside her was indeed the alien princess. She too lay on her side, hands and feet bound, and she looked decidedly out of it. Her head lolled at an uncomfortable angle and her eyes were half shut; all Batgirl could see of them was Starfire's pale green sclera, implying her eyes were rolled back into her head.

Batgirl swore and began fiddling with her bonds. She made quick work of them, muttering to herself about stupid criminals and duct tape.

Still finding her limbs a little rubbery, Batgirl nonetheless crept carefully to Starfire's side. She put a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Starfire?" she whispered again.

No response.

"C'mon, Starfire, wake up!" Batgirl whispered desperately, shaking her a bit harder.

Starfire lolled over on to her back.

Batgirl growled in frustration. Considering she didn't even know where she was, there was no way to get Starfire out of there. She tapped her temple, bringing up the night vision in her cowl.

They were in a storage area. There were boxes, machine parts, cleaning supplies and other miscellaneous junk lying around. _"Okay,"_ Batgirl thought. _"This might work out."_

Moving a couple of boxes, she created a little alcove. Grabbing Starfire under her shoulders, she dragged her into the space. She then rearranged the boxes so that the opening was on the wall opposite the door to the room. That way, anyone coming in the door would have to walk all the way around to the back of the stack to see that Starfire was there. Batgirl then reached into her belt, suddenly realizing that the stupid criminals had left it with her. _"Don't they know that's rule number one?"_ she thought. _"Always take the utility belt."_

She pulled out a small plastic disk and slipped it under Starfire's neckpiece. It was a small radio emitter that the Bat clan used to follow suspects. "I'll be back for you," she whispered.

Batgirl made short work of the door thanks to standard Bat-issue lock picks. She found herself in a dingy office space. A small window in the corner offered her a way out of the building. Climbing out, she realized she was two stories up on the very building she and Starfire had broken into. "Oh, damn," she groaned. "Well, this just went pear-shaped."

TtTtTtT

Batman headed back to the Batcave as soon as he realized that neither Batgirl or any of the other Titans were answering their radio calls. He and Batgirl arrived there at approximately the same time. By this time, Raven was awake and sitting up, though she still seemed a bit drowsy. Lucius had arrived and was examining Cyborg.

"You left her there?" Batman growled as he heard Batgirl's story.

"What did you expect me to do?" Batgirl charged back. "She was dead weight. There's no way I could have carried her."

"Who's dead?" Beast Boy asked from where he hovered by Cyborg. "Is Starfire dead?" He started to look panicked again.

"Dead weight," Raven corrected. "Pay attention."

"She was out of it," Batgirl explained again. "Just dragging her behind the boxes was a feat. I put a tracker on her."

"At least we'll be able to find her," Batman grumbled. "Beast Boy, you're with me."

"Seriously?" Beast Boy's anxiety vanished and was quickly replaced with excitement.

"But…I know where she is," Batgirl protested.

"You have Alfred check you out," Batman ordered. "Then you and Raven find Robin."

TtTtTtT

Starfire thought she was floating in her sleep. She did that sometimes, especially if she was having pleasant dreams. But as she slowly came awake, she realized she hadn't had any dreams, at least none she could remember. And she could feel her body pressed against something hard, so she couldn't be floating. Why did she feel like she was?

She was disoriented. Despite the fact that she could feel the floor pressing into her side, she couldn't tell up from down. But then it could have been the ceiling for all she knew; maybe she was flying after all. It was so dark, but it hadn't occurred to her it was that way because her eyes were closed. She tried lighting a starbolt but found she could not focus her fury to do so.

She began to get scared. There was actually very little that caused her fear, but not having control of her powers was one of the bigger ones. She felt herself start to shake. Her powers started to misfire. Eyebolts forced her eyes open. She ripped her bonds without realizing they'd even been there. Starbolts sputtered around her hands, causing a strobe effect. The flashing light confused her even more. Overcome, she spun up into the air, her entire body encompassed briefly by a huge starbolt.

The boxes she was surrounded by scattered with the burst of energy. Her chest heaving as she fought for control, she at last began to recognize her surroundings. Boxes, equipment…a door! Without even bothering to check if it was locked, she burst through it.

She came out into an office. Frantically, fear coursing through her, she looked around. There was another door. Out! It was a way out! She had to get out. She had to find Robin. Robin would know what to do.

Desperately, she crashed through the door into the unknown.

TtTtTtT

"Fredo?" Robin demanded of the voice. Despite his limbs feeling rubbery, he tensed himself for action. "Where are you?" He fumbled for his belt, hoping to arm himself with something, but found the accessory gone. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

Fredo's voice chuckled. "Still the scrapper, eh Little Birdie?"

"You want to finish this, Fredo?" Robin challenged the empty room. "Come out and fight like a man!"

"Silly Little Birdie," the voice mocked. "There will be no fighting. I'm simply going to exterminate you like the pest you are."

Robin forced a laugh. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"The same way I'm going to take down all of Gotham if things don't go my way. Using the totem's power."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Robin huffed.

"I stole the totem thinking it was just a symbol, but enough of one to let the city know who had the real power. But it turns out all the stories the natives told about it were true. And it's so easy." Fredo laughed maniacally. "All I have to do anymore is think about something and it happens."

"So why the story about going straight?" Robin asked, his eyes darting around the room for speakers.

Another maniacal chuckle. "Mostly to get you here. I knew you'd never buy it. But I still needed a test subject. And I really wanted to take both you and Batman down at the same time. Having the city trust me was just gravy."

"Test subject for what?"

"For the ultimate weapon of fear, my boy. That story about how the totem can cause destruction with earth and water? All true. But it can do oh so much more. I've already been trying it out a little on some of my boys, but the true test is to be with you."

Robin sneered. "Bring it on. You're just a small-minded thug. I can take anything you can dish out."

Fredo chuckled. "This is going to be fun. I just wish my original plan had panned out and Batman was with you, but I suppose this pretty little thing will do…"

A hologram suddenly appeared right in front of Robin. It was of what looked like a basement room. Starfire stood in the middle of it, her arms twitching as she looked very confused and kind of freaked out.

"What did you do to her?" Robin demanded. "Where is she?"

"Quite nearby. I'm sure you'll have no problems finding her." The voice was almost sweet now.

Robin jumped as a door trundled open behind him.

"Getting to her, on the other hand…" Fredo laughed again. "Good luck, Little Birdie."

* * *

_Ugh, a whole chapter of plot and action. And there's more coming up. But I think I'm getting better at it. Although, I just realized now how short and chopped up this chapter is. I could have included more in this chapter, but this seemed like a good place to end it (you know how I love cliffhangers!). Hopefully the choppiness will ease up as our heroes come back together.  
_

_I hope I'm not making Fredo sound too much like the Joker. The trick Fredo's pulling on Robin is really kind of Joker-like (you'll see). But Fredo is just crazy with power, not certifiably insane like the Joker is._

_Anyway, standard apologies for the wait between chapters. I'd like nothing more than to stay home all day and write, but, well, the cat likes to eat. I actually am a couple of hundred words into the next chapter, and I've got some vacation coming up, so maybe it will go up a little sooner. Maybe. The muse has been kind of temperamental lately, so make with the love!_


	29. Search

_Teen Titans and Batman and related characters and situations belong to DC Comics. I am not them. I would never do to my Starfire what DC has done to theirs._

_Chapter 29: Search_

_by Lelila_

Beast Boy was a nervous wreck. First of all, he was worried about his friends. Robin and Starfire were missing and Cyborg was gravely injured. And now, he was out with Batman. Batman! There wasn't anybody better. Would he be able to live up to the Bat's expectations? It seemed he had a hard time doing that for Robin, and Robin apparently had left Batman because the Dark Knight was too much of a hardass even for the Boy Wonder. And that made Beast Boy _really_ nervous.

He did his best not to tremor too much as he sat in the passenger seat of the Batmobile. It was all he could do to keep his mind from blowing. He thought the stuff Cyborg came up with for the T-Car was incredible, but this was…Beast Boy didn't have a better word.

To keep himself semi-focused, Beast Boy paid attention to the dash display. It showed a GPS-style map of Gotham with the Batmobile appearing as a Bat symbol and the tracker Batgirl had put on Starfire showing as a blinking red dot.

Almost a mile from the dot, Batman pulled off into an alley.

"Why are we stopping?" Beast Boy asked.

"They'll know we're there if we just pull up. Come on; it's not far."

Batman set the alarm on the Batmobile and shot a line up four floors to a fire escape. He paused before starting his ascent. "You coming?"

"Right, right." Beast Boy turned into a squirrel and scampered up the fire escapes to the top of the building, beating Batman there. "You coming?" he teased out of habit as he reverted to his human form.

Batman glowered up at him. Beast Boy felt a chill go down his spine. He suddenly knew how most of Gotham's criminals felt.

Despite his human limitations, Batman quickly joined Beast Boy on the roof. They made their way across the forest of buildings to the warehouse district and found themselves on top of the building where the tracker had indicated Starfire was. They soon discovered the hole the girls had made.

"This looks ripped apart," Batman noted.

"Probably Starfire," Beast Boy said. "I've seen her tear open bank vaults with her bare hands."

Beast Boy wasn't sure, but he thought Batman looked impressed.

Batman pulled out what looked like a flashlight and switched it on. Beast Boy, however, saw no light. "Looks like there's a couple of lackeys down there," Batman said after a quick look.

"How can you tell?" Beast Boy asked.

"Inferred flashlight," Batman answered before simply dropping through the hole. "Hurry up," his voice crackled into Beast Boy's ear.

Too overwhelmed to do anything but obey, Beast Boy turned into a flying squirrel and dove in.

TtTtTtT

Starfire couldn't shake the confusion from her brain. She didn't know where she was and she didn't remember what had happened to her. She just knew she had to get out of…wherever here was.

She'd run down several flights of stairs before finding herself in a bare room with several doors. They all looked the same! Which way should she go?

After having indecision buzz through her head for several long moments, she burst through the door to her left. She successively ran through several almost-identical rooms, choosing doors at random. She eventually popped out into a larger room, though it didn't look much different than the others. Before she could decide which door to choose, a specter appeared in front of her. It was a woman with hollow eyes. She looked not unlike Raven when she was using her powers. Starfire's frenzy stopped short, and she gasped. "Who…who are you?" she asked, trying, and failing, to sound strong.

The specter said nothing, just faded out.

Startled into a somewhat calmer state, Starfire took a moment to look around. More doors. Where was she? Where was she going? Where had she come from? What was that…_being_ she'd just seen?

With no answers presenting themselves, Starfire's panic began to return. She visibly began to shake.

And then she was sure she was going insane.

The entire room changed before her eyes. The walls took on the shapes of buildings. The lines of a road and sidewalk grew on the floor. People and objects appeared out of thin air. The noises of a bustling city filled her ears.

"Please," she asked someone walking by. "Where is this place?"

He didn't answer. It was like he didn't see her.

"Please!" she pleaded with someone else. "I do not know where I am! I require your assistance!"

"I can help you," a voice sounded behind her.

Starfire whipped around. "Robin!" She flew to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh Robin! I have much relief in seeing you! I have been so confused…" She paused, pulling away; something was amiss. He was stiff in her embrace. Despite Robin's desire to keep their relationship private, he'd warmed up to her public displays of affection, and would at least lean in to her a bit before stepping back. But now, he wasn't even touching her.

"What do you need help with?" Robin asked.

The already-confused Starfire became even more so, and her barely-controlled panic began to take over again. "Who are you?" she demanded, backing away. "You are not my Robin."

"I am Robin," not-Robin replied. "How can I help?"

Starfire screamed and dashed off down the street.

TtTtTtT

Batgirl tinkered with the Batcomputer. "Well, his tracker's still functional," she told the room. "But he's not moved from this one room for nearly two hours. Not good."

"Robin's not there," Raven's voice sounded from behind her. "Just his tracker is."

Batgirl turned to see Raven floating cross-legged over her medical bed, eyes closed. "How do you know that?"

"I can sense him." Raven opened her eyes, the black glow illuminating her face before fading out. "He is in that building, though."

"Well, let's go then!" Batgirl leapt from her chair.

"Hold on," Raven said, closing her eyes again. "Batman and Beast Boy are there. We go barging in there we might mess up whatever Batman has planned."

Batgirl dropped back into her chair. "Dammit, you're right. If we screw this up, Bruce will have our heads. Mine, at least, anyway." She paused, frowning as she thought. "What else can you sense?" she asked after a moment.

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well…can you tell if they're in trouble?"

Raven closed her eyes again. "Batman and Beast Boy are fine. Robin…" she trailed off, staying silent for what felt like a very long time.

"What about Robin?" Batgirl finally pressed.

"Robin is…frightened. But not for himself."

"Then who?" Batgirl demanded after Raven fell silent again.

Raven shivered. "Starfire. She's really terrified. But Robin's not with her. He's looking for her."

"They're in the same place?" Batgirl asked.

"They're near each other, yes. But they're not together."

"But they're in the same building?" Batgirl clarified.

"Yes," Raven confirmed.

Batgirl turned around and punched a button on the Batcomputer. A visual from Batman's cowl came up on the display; his night vision was on. Nothing was in sight outside of some bare walls and some construction debris. "Batman," Batgirl spoke into the computer's microphone. "Do you read?"

A grunt sounded through the speakers. Batgirl knew that grunt meant 'Can't talk now.'

"Listen, Robin's there too," Batgirl went on. "He's not wearing his tracker."

Another grunt. This one Batgirl knew meant 'Acknowledged.'

"Do you want us to do anything?" Batgirl asked.

A decidedly negative grunt answered.

Batgirl scrambled. There was no way she would sit here while Robin and Starfire were in trouble. "What about the rest of the city?" She asked. "You guys are all in one spot. We hit pretty hard tonight. I can guarantee the rest of the city isn't quiet."

There was a long silence.

"Batman?" Batgirl pressed.

Still more silence.

"Bruce!" Batgirl was trying her best to keep from yelling and was barely succeeding.

"No," Batman's growly voice finally came back. "You've both been drugged. I don't want you getting yourselves in trouble while I'm otherwise occupied."

"But Bruce…"

"I said no. You're safe there. And you seem to be accomplishing something; you were able to tell us where Robin is. Keep that up. Keep us posted."

Batgirl opened her mouth to protest again, but Raven cut her off. "He's right."

Batgirl crossed her arms in defiance and swung her chair around to face Raven. "How can you say that when Robin and Starfire are in trouble?"

"Because he is," Raven said simply. "Neither of us are in top shape – don't deny it – and we are doing some good here by keeping track of Robin and Starfire. We can coordinate. You use the Batcomputer and I'll use my powers."

Batgirl pulled her cowl back. She sat very still for a few moments, ideas swirling through her head. She swung around with a lurch and started logging into various systems on the Batcomputer. "Yes…we could totally be their eyes and ears. If I could just get into their security systems…"

Her hands flying over the keyboard, multiple windows appeared on the huge screen. Text appeared in them and then, one by one, different camera feeds. They were from different corners of the city.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked.

"Being Batman's eyes and ears," Batgirl replied. "I can't seem to find the warehouse district cams, though." She typed furiously.

For several minutes, the only sounds in the Batcave were Batgirl's typing and the occasional buzz of electricity as Lucius Fox worked on Cyborg. Raven tried to touch her wounded friend's consciousness, and he was there, but it was like he was hibernating. Alive, but not much else. Raven pushed her worries aside and tried to concentrate on Robin and Starfire, who, potentially, she could help.

"Ah ha!" Batgirl crowed. "I'm in!"

TtTtTtT

Robin wasted no time dashing through the door that had opened. He came out into what appeared to be a basement: concrete floor, cinderblock walls and no windows. There were three doors, one on each wall. _"She's nearby ,that's what he said," _he thought to himself. But he had no tracker, and no way to communicate. Well then, he was just going to have to be methodical. He opened the door to his left.

The room was exactly the same. Robin frowned and stepped back through the door he'd come through. Poking his head through the other two doors, he discovered that they led to identical rooms as well. So then. A maze. Back to being methodical.

The best way to get out of a maze was by picking a wall and following it. It was far from the fastest way, and you'd hit a lot of dead ends, but it would eventually get you out. Robin hoped this method would eventually get him to Starfire, and hopefully not too late.

He rushed through several indistinguishable rooms before coming to a locked door. He rattled the knob, hoping he could force it open. In his hurry, he thought fleetingly about skipping it and going on to the next door, but thought better of it. He backed up several steps and took a running leap at it, smashing it down with a flying kick. "Who needs a utility belt?" he said to the room defiantly as he re-adjusted his cape.

It didn't take Robin long to discover that this new room was different. At first glance it looked the same, but there was something about its geometry that made him pause. It wasn't quite the same shape the other rooms had been. He slowly turned, mentally measuring it out.

Then he heard it. A soft _buzz_.

Robin sprung into a defensive pose. He automatically reached for a birdarang, but when he found none, he curled his hand into a fist. He stood very still, trying to suppress his breathing so he could hear over the sound of it in his ears.

There it was again, off to his right. A soft buzz; almost a hum. He turned his head in that direction; took a couple of careful steps. It sounded like…a TV. The sound was very similar to the buzz an old tube-style television gave off, even if there was no sound. He surveyed the room a bit more closely, looking for the source of the sound. His eyes were eventually drawn to what looked like a security camera. But there was something odd about it; it seemed to have three lenses. A holo recorder maybe?

Robin looked around at the other corners of the room and found no similar devices. A holo recorder would require a panoramic view, best achieved by using more than one camera. That means that this was most likely some kind of projector. He knit his brows, pondering that. Why would Fredo need a holoprojector?

His question was answered when he heard a giggle behind him. He spun to look and saw "Starfire?"

"Greetings Robin," the possible-Starfire chirped. "I trust you are well today?"

Robin was immediately skeptical. Even ever-happy Starfire wouldn't be exchanging pleasantries in a situation like this. "I'm fine," he answered slowly. "Where did you come from?"

"Nearby," she answered vaguely. "I am so happy to see you!"

"Yeah, me too," Robin said flatly. He had to figure out if this was the real Starfire or not. "Tell me, Starfire, what's your favorite fruit?"

Possible-Starfire canted her head and looked blank for a moment. "Why, Friend Robin, you must know that, being that we are such close friends," she finally replied. She flashed a smile at him.

"Uh huh." Robin frowned, then tried again with a different tack. _"I have a strawberry birthmark," _he said in Cantonese. _"Where is it?"_

Possible-Starfire stood stock-still, her eyes glazing over. Robin watched her very carefully, waiting for something, anything, to give her away, one way or the other.

She flickered.

Robin dove at her. He really expected to go right through her, but instead, wound up tackling the would-be alien princess. "What are you?" he demanded, pushing the girl's shoulders to the floor. "What have you done to Starfire?"

The imposter kicked Robin off with little effort. Before he could climb to his feet, he found her standing over him. "This is just the beginning," she said, her voice hard and electronic-sounding. "Neither you nor your precious alien will make it out of here alive."

Then she vanished into thin air.

* * *

Another action chapter. I keep trying to get through those quickly so I can get to the good character stuff, but they take the pace they want. Hopefully next chapter. I do like the little Oracle bit I put in there for Babs. I don't know that I'll explore that or not; maybe in _Falling III._

Standard apologies about the wait between updates. I've been given more responsibilities at work, which has given me less time to write at home. Add to that the stress of the holidays and some struggles with my health and well...I'm sure you've heard it all before.

Many, many thanks to everyone who've been hangin' with me. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I'm not sure I'd bother to finish this. But I _will_ finish it, and I _will_ work on _Falling III_, just because I know you want it!

The muse works harder when she knows she's loved!

Happy Holidays to everyone, no matter which ones you may celebrate!


	30. Regroup

_Teen Titans and Batman and related characters and situations belong to DC Comics. I am not them. I can't draw my way out of a paper bag._

_Chapter 30: Regroup_

_by Lelila_

Starfire broke through the wall of the room that had become a city before her eyes. She tumbled onto the floor of the next room, unable to control her flight. Not understanding what was happening to her, she began to sob.

"Robin!" she cried into the bare room, feeling even more alone as the sound bounced off of the hard walls.

What was happening to her? She had been confused and frightened many times before, but she had never felt this …_cowardly_.

She lay there panting, trying to pull herself together, but just becoming more and more afraid.

Then she thought she heard someone talking. She couldn't understand the words, but she recognized the voice. "Raven?" She sat up, listening. Again she thought she heard the voice, but still couldn't quite understand it.

But somehow, even though the words did not make sense, the voice made something very clear to Starfire. She was strong. She was the Princess of the Warrior Race of Tameran. She had been drugged and fooled; that's why she wasn't thinking clearly. But there was no reason she couldn't get out of this.

And she knew she needed to get out of this; there was no way Robin would consider her worthy of his love if she didn't. Not after what she'd done.

Puffing a few resolute breaths, she climbed to her feet. Pushing her hair out of her face, she took a moment to really look at her surroundings. It still looked like a basement. Starfire didn't like basements; the one at Titans Tower made her most unsettled. But despite her fear, nothing bad had ever happened to her in the Titans basement. Well, there was that time she was devoured by rats, but that had just been Raven's powers run amok and she hadn't really been in any danger.

More doors. There were three more doors in this room. Doors meant a way out. She could rip them down if she had to. Gritting her teeth and lighting her eyes, she charged at the closest one, easily knocking it down.

The room she entered looked exactly like the last one.

Undeterred, she plowed through another door. And then another. And another. Each room looked exactly the same. After losing count as to how many rooms she'd been through, Starfire planted herself in the middle of one of them and screamed in frustration. "There must be a way out of this place," she told the empty room. "There must!"

"I might know a way out," a voice sounded behind her. Starfire turned and saw Robin – or someone or thing that looked like Robin – leaning casually against one of the door frames.

She immediately grew suspicious. The last "Robin" she'd come across hadn't really been Robin. There was something…smug about this one that just didn't seem right. Still, she was jumpy and scared and a bit disoriented, so she went with the hope that this actually was Robin. "You do?" she asked, taking a few cautious steps closer to him.

"I mapped my way in," Maybe-Robin replied. "We'll go back out the same way."

That sounded like something Robin would do. Still… "How am I to know that you are truly Robin?"

Maybe-Robin snorted out a laugh. "Starfire, it's me. Your leader, your friend." He took a few steps towards her and put a hand on her shoulder.

Starfire stiffened under his touch. Something about it wasn't right. The cant of his head was wrong; there was no barely-contained smile. And, as a step closer confirmed, she couldn't see his eyes through his mask.

"_What is my given name?"_ she asked him in Russian. She had to know if it was truly him.

Maybe-Robin stood very still for a long few moments. _"Star…fire…" _he finally stammered out, using the Russian words for "star" and "fire."

Starfire frowned. While that was technically correct – her name did translate to "star fire" in her language – she also knew that Robin would know that is not what she meant. _"What is it in Tameranian?" _she asked in said language.

Again, Maybe-Robin stood very still, longer than the last time. "Robin?" she prompted him after what felt like several minutes.

"Come again?" he finally said.

Fairly convinced this was not her Robin, Starfire decided on one last test. She reached forward and yanked his shirt out of his pants.

"Starfire, what are you doing?" Not-Robin #2 squeaked, seemingly recovered.

"Proving you are not who you seem," she replied. "You do not have a _**Dpi'syr**_ gem. Indeed, you do not even have a navel!" Still holding him by the shirt, she punched him as hard as she could, calling on her alien strength, right where the identifying jewel should have been.

Not-Robin flew across the room and into a wall, where he literally broke into pieces before disappearing.

Starfire screamed in frustration. "If you can hear me, _**pyjrtgivlrt**_ that is causing these illusions, know that you will not defeat me!"

She smashed through another door and continued looking for an exit.

TtTtTtT

"Good girl," Raven said softly as she watched Starfire crash through the door. "Have you found Robin yet?" she asked Batgirl, who still sat at the Batcomputer trying to hack further into the warehouse's security system.

"No," Batgirl groused. "Damn, this is a weird place. All the rooms look the same."

Raven cast an eye over her shoulder to check on Cyborg. Lucious Fox glanced up at her from where he worked on her friend, and she could tell he was cautiously optimistic. Satisfied that she wouldn't be immediately needed for Cyborg, Raven closed her eyes and concentrated on Robin, just as she had on Starfire a short time ago.

He was agitated; pitching for a fight. But one thing was foremost in his mind: Starfire. Find Starfire.

Maybe she could ease his mind. _"Starfire is fine,"_ she sent to him, tapping into their connection. _"She's very near."_

Raven felt Robin's thanks come back through their bond. _"Can you help me find her?"_ he asked.

Raven stretched, but due to the drug still being in her system, she couldn't feel Starfire at the same time. _"Sorry. Still too out of it."_

"_Okay. Let me know if something happens to Starfire. How are the rest of you?"_

"_Batgirl and I are fine aside from being a little dopey. Beast Boy's out with Batman. Cyborg…."_

"_Cyborg?"_

Raven mentally hedged. _"He's been shot,"_ she finally conceded. _"Mostly electrical damage. Bruce brought someone in to work on him. Fox, I think his name is."_

"_Lucius Fox? Okay, he's in good hands. How is he? Cy, that is."_

"_Unresponsive. But his spirit is strong."_

"_Good. Let me know if anything happens. How's Starfire?"_

"_Disoriented. Frightened. I think the drug may have had a different effect on her."_

Raven felt Robin tighten his jaw. "_You said she's near?"_

"_In the same building, yes."_

"_I'll be alright. You stay with her. I don't want to hear from you again unless something changes or you can tell me where she is."_

"_Okay,"_ Raven agreed. "_Batman's on his way; he's in the building too."_

Raven felt acknowledgment from him, then felt his attention go somewhere else. Raven frowned, but knew he was probably right in that Starfire needed her more than he did. She took a deep breath and was about to re-center herself on the confused alien when she heard Batgirl swear. "What is it?"

"I can't seem to map this place," Batgirl huffed. "There's no floorplan that I can find in their system, and every room looks the same! I can't track Starfire and I have no idea where Robin is!"

Raven trailed up behind Batgirl, who had pulled her cowl down and was furiously typing code into a small window. Raven examined the other windows that were open, some showing video feeds, a couple showing analysis of what had been viewed. All of the analyses were incomplete. "It seems Fredo is playing a trick on us as well as Robin and Starfire," she remarked.

"Dammit!" Batgirl banged on the console. "How am I supposed to track them if I can't even figure out what camera's looking at what room?"

"The computer can't figure it out?" Raven asked.

"No! It has no frame of reference. All I've managed to do is get into the system; there's no identifiers on any of the camera feeds. How the hell do they tell them apart?"

"I'm sure there's a way," Raven reasoned.

"If I could just find Batman…" Batgirl muttered.

"Because Batman has a tracker," Raven supplied.

Batgirl flipped between several camera feeds, the image on the screen barely changing. "Grrr…where are you?" she ground out through clenched teeth.

Closing her eyes, Raven again tried to reach out to both Robin and Starfire at the same time.

All she was able to feel was a buzzing behind her eyes.

TtTtTtT

After communicating with Raven, all Robin wanted to do was find Starfire and get out of there. This mission had gone horribly wrong, and one of his friends was hurt because of it. It was time to retreat and re-plan. But he wasn't leaving without Starfire, especially if she wasn't herself.

Continuing his follow-the-wall strategy, he wondered what else Fredo had up his sleeve. His holograms were certainly realistic, Robin had to hand him that. But Starfire…a drugged, confused Starfire no less…they might have really gotten her into trouble.

Finding another locked door, Robin rubbed his sore shoulder before taking a run at it. When it didn't yield, he kicked it a couple of times, as much out of frustration as his need to get it open. After his third kick, it popped open into yet another nearly identical room.

But there was something, or some_one_ in this room. A being that looked remarkably like Starfire. But was it actually her? "Starfire?" he called to the entity.

Looking like a scared bird, maybe-Starfire jumped and hopped around to look at him. Her eyes immediately narrowed and her posture changed to a defensive stance. "What are you?" she demanded almost menacingly.

Robin's urge to reassure her surged to the surface, but he pushed it back down. He had to make sure she was actually Starfire first. "I'm me," he replied. He started to walk slowly towards her. "Star, what did we do the morning before Fredo's party?"

Starfire looked confused. "We read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum," she answered slowly. "Why do you require this information?"

Reasonably convinced that the girl was Starfire (seriously, how could Fredo have found that out?), Robin smiled broadly. "Just checking. C'mon, Star, let's find a way out of here." He held out his hand.

Starfire skittered backwards.

"Starfire, it's me!"

"There have been two others who have said that! Neither of them were really Robin!" She took another step back.

Robin's thoughts spun. How to convince her? He switched over to French, a language he only ever used when they were alone. _"Starfire, it really is me. See?"_ He pulled his shirt up to reveal his _**dpi'syr**_gem.

"French is a common language!" Starfire charged. "And Robin's captors could have easily found his gem!" She lifted a defensive hand, taking another step back.

Robin held his hands up, trying to calm her and show that he meant no harm at the same time and took a step towards her. "Then…let me prove that this one is real."

She scurried back several more steps and charged a starbolt. "You will not touch me!"

"Okay…okay…" Robin swallowed. He was going to have to try Tameranian, as uncomfortable as he was speaking it. _"__**Koriand'r,**__it is truly I, Robin, your __**Aiyknrwa**__¸your __**Revoleth,**__ your __**Dpi'syr."**_ He held out his hand and took a step towards her.

Starfire scuttled back, winding up pressed against the wall. Her starbolt grew larger. "Others have heard us use these words!"

"Yes, but our friends only." He drew a couple of deep breaths to center himself. He was going to have to tell her something that only they knew. "_You are remembering…our first time? Beneath the tree, alongside the river? I had difficulty removing your boots?"_

Starfire's eyes started to soften, but her starbolt held steady.

Robin took another two steps. _"Or the first time we did the making of love on…the top of…our home?"_ He couldn't remember the words for "roof" or "Tower." "_The sun was setting. Your skin glowed. You were so beautiful," _he whispered, remembering the sight of her, hovering in the fading light. "_I refused to remove my…" _He struggled for a few seconds, unable to remember the word for "cape." He finally gave up and held up the corner of the garment.

Starfire's starbolt winked out, but she held her fist at the ready.

Robin could almost touch her. He lowered his voice, trying to seduce her. "_And what you did to me while we were on the sofa? That was…glorious."_ He smiled at her. _"I want to try that in the shower. I want to do that to you." _He ended in a whisper as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes searched his mask. "Robin?"

He nodded, smiling at her. "It's me." He pulled up his shirt again, inviting her to prove it for herself.

He saw her swallow and reach down to pull her skirt down enough to expose her own gem. She moved closer to him, allowing them to touch, and as the emotions ignited in Robin, she threw her arms around him. "Oh, Robin! I am so happy to have found you!"

He hugged her tightly. "Me too, Star. Me too."

Starfire hung in his embrace. "Oh Robin, I have been so confused and..and…lost!"

"I know," he soothed. "This is a confusing place. But we'll get out of it, I promise."

* * *

Kinda short again, I know. I'm trying to move the narrative forward, and I'm having some problems getting the characters where I need them to be. But we're getting closer, so hopefully things will pick up a bit. What I really wanted to accomplish with this chapter is that the mission has more or less collapsed for the moment, and that Starfire's already fragile state of mind has been further compromised by the drug.

This last bit with Robin and Starfire was one of the first things I wrote for this story. I think it's stood up well. Hopefully it will point me in the right direction...

Thanks again for everybody who keeps coming back. The muse and I live for your feedback. Thanks for all the support. On to chapter 31...


	31. The Maze

_Teen Titans and Batman and related characters and situations belong to DC Comics._ _Since I haven't even read the latest issue of Nightwing yet, one could say I have no ownership of it. They'd be right._

_Chapter 31: The Maze_

_by Lelila_

Beast Boy followed Batman through the crawlspaces of the warehouse, often taking the shape of a rat. He found he could see a bit better in this form, which was good, because Batman was often unpredictable in his direction.

They came to a pipe junction that opened up a bit, and Beast Boy reverted to his human form as Batman sat back on his haunches. The Dark Knight tapped his temple. "Batgirl. Have you found Robin or Starfire?"

"No," Beast Boy heard over his own headset. "And yes. And no."

"Elaborate," Batman ordered, an exasperated edge to his voice.

"No, I haven't found Robin. I have seen Starfire, but I've lost her. I'm having trouble mapping this place."

"What's the difficulty?"

"There's no floorplan and no identifiers on the cameras, at least not as far as I can find. Starfire seems to be knocking out doors at random, and like I said, I can't find Robin. Or you, for that matter."

"You won't; we're in the ducts."

Batgirl grumbled. "I'll keep looking, but the deeper I dig into this system, the more nothing I find."

Batman pulled out his hand-held communicator and tapped on the screen. "I'm sending you the map I've created thus far. See if you can't cross-reference it with the images you've got."

There was a long silence as Batgirl studied the information. "There's definitely a pattern…" she finally said. "I'll set the Batcomputer on it and see what we can't come up with. Any luck on your end?"

"Other than a few goons, we haven't spotted anyone," Batman replied. "But you're right; this place is a maze."

"You think that's on purpose, or just poor design?" Raven's voice sounded in Beast Boy's ears.

"No, there seems to be some logic to it," Batman replied. "Not exactly sure what yet."

"Based on what you've sent me," Batgirl said slowly, "and a best guess of the rooms Starfire's been through, it looks like there might be a large room in the center of the building."

Beast Boy turned back into a rat and scampered up onto Batman's shoulder to get a look at his communicator screen. Batman seemed not to notice.

"Hmm," Batman pondered for a moment. "Keep working on that map and keep looking for Robin and Starfire. I – we'll check out this large room."

"Acknowledged," Batgirl said.

Batman shut down his communicator and put it back in his belt and then just sat there for a long few moments. Beast Boy wondered what he was up to when he finally said in a rather irritated voice: "You can get down now."

Beast Boy hopped down and turned back into his human form. "Heh. Sorry."

Batman made a non-approving snort.

"Why do you think there's a big room in the middle of the building?" Beast Boy asked, hoping to distract Batman from being mad at him.

"A better question is why is there a maze around it," Batman replied.

"Maybe Fredo likes puzzles?" Beast Boy suggested.

Batman paused. "You may have something there."

"I do?" Beast Boy asked incredulously. "Wow, I was right around the Batman!"

Batman didn't comment. "We need to figure out what Fredo's puzzle is and why he feels the need to put Robin and Starfire through it." He pulled out his communicator again and synced it up with the BatComputer. "From the data that we've got, it looks like it doesn't really matter which way they go through this. They could go straight to the center or miss it entirely. Or they could wander around aimlessly. Which means he's not really trying to lead them anywhere. Which means that there's something in the rooms that he wants them to encounter."

"Ninjas?" Beast Boy asked, only half seriously.

"Possible, but unlikely," Batman replied evenly. "I'm thinking things more along the lines of his usual fare: goons, guns, bombs."

Beast Boy sniffed. "I can handle those," he said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"What about Starfire?" Batman asked. "She was drugged. It's probably safe to assume that Robin was too."

"Usually she can…" Beast Boy said hesitantly. "And when she's upset she's a force of nature, but…"

"But you've never seen her drugged."

Beast Boy shook his head, not realizing until after that Batman probably wouldn't see him. "No."

"And she's pretty powerful."

"Yeah."

"Does she have any weaknesses?"

"You mean other than Robin?" Oh no! He said that out loud! Robin was going to kill him!

Batman's voice grew almost accusatory. "What do you mean, 'other than Robin'?"

"Just that…heh heh…she and Robin are really good friends and…that…she…gets a little distracted around him. Sometimes. But never on a mission," he was quick to add.

"Uh huh," Batman grunted. "But I'm talking physical weaknesses. Like Kryptonite is to Superman."

"Oh. Um….there was this stuff that made her sneeze really bad … what was it…um…cro-magnon…"

"I don't mean allergies. I mean something that will weaken her; make her vulnerable."

Beast Boy shrugged, again mentally kicking himself because Batman wouldn't see it. "Not that I know of."

"Then are you prepared to not hold back when dealing with her?" Batman asked.

"What…what do you mean?"

"Are you going to be able to do what it takes to subdue her, even if it might mean harming her?"

Beast Boy wasn't sure whether to be insulted or disgusted. _Of course_ he could give his all if need be. But then…this was Starfire…she was like his sister. He loved her as much as he ever had anyone. And Batman wanted to know if he could _take her down?_ Man, this guy was hardcore.

At a loss for an answer, he finally sputtered: "Could you do it to Robin?"

"If I thought he was an extreme danger to himself or others, yes."

"Well, I'm not gonna hurt Starfire," Beast Boy declared, sounding a little like a petulant child. "And I'm not gonna let you do it either."

There was a long heavy silence before Batman spoke. "If you're not going to cooperate with me, you can go back to the Batcave."

Beast Boy seriously considered leaving. Why would he want to work with someone who was ready to hurt his friends, or, by extension, him? But, this was not his town. And they were in the building. "No," he said resolutely. "I can do the most help here."

"We have an understanding, then."

"What I understand is that my friends are in this building, and I'm going to do what I can to help them. You're the Batman, and I'll follow you, but I'm not going to hurt my friends." Beast Boy gulped. Did he just tell all of that to the Batman?

Another long silence, but Batman finally said. "Stay out of my way if it comes to that then."

This time Beast Boy favored Batman with a long silence. "Let's just go," he finally said, changing back into a rat.

TtTtTtT

Robin took a moment to look Starfire over. "Are you okay? What did they do to you?"

"I seem undamaged, but I am very…confused. Oh Robin, did you see them too?"

"See what, Star?"

"The…." Starfire fought for the words, looking very flustered for a moment. "The…_**jsmyp'd**_!"

Robin furrowed his brow. "The…_**jsmyp'd**_? I don't know that word, Star."

"It is a…a…specter," Starfire sputtered. "A being that is not wholly there."

"You mean…like a ghost?"

"Not…precisely. A ghost is the spirit of a deceased person. A _**jsmyp'd**_ is a body without a soul."

"Like a zombie?"

"No…" Starfire was starting to shake, becoming more and more upset. "More like a…a…an android that is being commanded from afar."

"You mean a drone?"

"Yes! Yes! That is the word!" Starfire was triumphant for a moment, but then her face drew into a pinched worry. "My head is so muddled up; I cannot seem to complete a thought."

"It's okay, Star," Robin stroked her cheek soothingly. "I'm a little groggy myself, but we'll figure this out. Together."

It took a moment, but Starfire favored him with a small, hesitant smile. "Together."

Robin stepped back and took her hand. "And yes, I have seen some drones. I'm pretty sure they're holograms. Fredo's got some good programmers, I'll give him that."

"Why would he create such things?"

Robin shook his head. "I don't know yet. But I don't think they can hurt us; at least I hope they can't." He looked up into Starfire's eyes. "Don't be afraid of them; they're just holograms."

Starfire nodded. "I shall endeavor to control my fear. Still, I will feel better once we leave this place."

"No arguments there," Robin looked around. "Do you know where you came from? Have you been tracking your path?"

Starfire hung her head a little. "No, I am sorry. The rooms all look the same and I have been so confused…"

"It's okay," Robin repeated. "I've been keeping track as best I can in my head. We'll just start from here and keep going forward."

Starfire nodded. "I believe that would be acceptable."

Robin squeezed her hand and indicated the door to his left. "Let's go that way."

Finding the door locked, Robin dropped Starfire's hand and slammed his shoulder into it a few times.

Starfire stopped him with a hand to his forearm and lit a starbolt with the other hand. "Robin, please do not strain yourself. I do not wish to see you harmed. I can open the door."

Robin grinned and stepped back with a flourish. Starfire looked puzzled but didn't say anything as she blasted the door.

"Nice work," Robin said as he stepped through the hole. "Good to see you still have control over your starbolts." He offered his hand to her through the opening.

Starfire hesitated, confused by his statement. Was he complimenting her, or insulting her? She thought it was the former; Robin was very careful about not using sarcasm around her, though she knew he used it around the other Titans. But, if she really had damaged their relationship by harming him last night, maybe he wasn't being so careful. Still, he seemed genuine; his body language did not indicate that he was angry with her in any way. Timidly, she placed her hand in his.

Robin squeezed her fingers. "It's okay, Star. Come on."

She decided that she could trust him for the moment. Still very nervous, Starfire walked through the hole she had made, leaving her hand in his.

"Were you able to find the totem?" Robin asked as he led her through another identical room.

Starfire had to think about that a moment. "I believe…yes! Yes, Batgirl and I found it…Batgirl! What has happened to her? Robin, we must find her!"

"It's okay, it's okay…Star!" Robin squeezed her hand, trying to calm her down. "I talked to Raven. She and Batgirl are fine."

"You…were able to communicate with Raven?"

Robin nodded. "Through our bond."

Starfire started to shake. "Your bond with Raven. Of course." Robin's close relationship to the other girl on the team had never bothered her before, but now, all of a sudden, it threatened her terribly.

Robin stopped their travel and turned to face her full-on. "Starfire, what is it? You're shaking like a leaf. Is it the drug? Or is there something else going on?"

"I…" Starfire's voice caught in her throat. He seemed stern, but usually he just wanted to help when he asked questions like this. Perhaps he would be willing to speak about this… "I am afraid that I…that we…" she struggled for the words.

"Star, it's okay," Robin soothed. "Whatever it is, we'll work it out."

Starfire lowered her eyes. _"I am afraid that you no longer wish to be my__** Aiyknrwa**__,"_ she mumbled in Tamaranian.

"What?" Robin sounded annoyed. "Is that what this is about? Star, this isn't the time or the place."

"I see," Starfire switched back to English. "Very well. Let us find an exit." She dropped his hand and punched through the next door.

Robin sighed loudly. "_Why would you think that, Star?"_ he asked in Mandarin.

Starfire turned back to face him. "I thought you did not wish to speak of this now."

Robin's shoulders fell. "It's obvious you're upset. This mission's toast anyway, so, let's just work this out."

"_Are you not worried someone will hear us?" _ Starfire asked in Tameranian.

"_We'll switch the languages up," _Robin replied, this time in Russian. _"It'll keep them on their toes, at least."_

The phrase was odd in Russian, implying more dance preparation than the English version did. Starfire frowned. _"We shall…keep them guessing?"_she translated out loud to herself in Tamaranian.

Robin smiled. "You're getting better at this…even in other languages."

Starfire beamed. Maybe he didn't hate her after all.

Robin heaved a breath. _"So why do you think I don't want to be your boyfriend?"_ he asked in German as he led her through the newly-created hole.

Starfire followed along, but didn't look at him. "_I…I harmed you during the act of __**Xioykrw**__**."**_

"_You mean my hands?_" Robin asked in Japanese. _"Raven healed them; I'm fine."_

"_But…it is not that simple,"_Starfire stuttered on in Tamaranian. _**"**__**Xioykrw **__is about tenderness and joy…pain should never be inflicted. It is tantamount to…to __**ts'r**__ in your culture."_

"_**Ts'r?" **_Robin questioned. _"I don't know that word either," _he continued in Japanese.

Starfire's mind swirled through the languages that she knew Robin would understand. _**"Vergewaltigen,"**_ she finally said.

Robin's face pinched. _"Rape!" _ he sputtered back in German. _"But I'm the one that initiated that…that act! There was nothing non-consensual about it! "_

"_You did not consent to my breaking of your hands," _Starfire answered bitterly in Russian.

"_Well…no…but…"_ Robin stammered on in German. _"It was just…in the heat of what happened. I don't blame you."_

"_But it still happened," _Starfire switched back to Tameranian. _"And it is not really about consent. It is about damage. It is the damage that is taboo. It is though I have harmed our…our bond."_

Robin sighed, shaking his head. "You haven't harmed our bond, Star," he said in English, forgetting himself. Starfire looked startled, and, when Robin realized what he'd done, he blushed a little, gritting his teeth as he got angry at himself. _"Last night was amazing," _he told her in Japanese. _"If anything I feel closer to you."_

"_You are not showing it," _Starfire replied icily.

"_You know why, Star. We've had this discussion."_

"_Indeed. You have said that we cannot be together while we are in Gotham City, not even when we are alone. And yet you do things like pull me into your sleeping chamber and __**tsb'shr**__ me. How am I not to be confused?"_

Robin didn't know what _**tsb'shr**_meant either, but he could infer from the rest of the sentence. Frustration flashed through him. Was she really that naive? She usually wasn't when it came to this kind of thing, but then again, she was constantly surprising him. He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Star, don't you get it?" he growled in English before taking a deep breath and switching over to French. _"I hate being apart too. I lay in bed every night aching for your touch. I've thrown myself into this case so we can get home sooner and so I have something to keep myself distracted from you. Star…" _He swallowed, lowering his voice and raising his other hand to caress her cheek. _**"Koriand'r,**_" he started over in Tamaranian. _"I am loving you more than I am loving myself. Please do not ever be doubting that."_

Tears glossed Starfire's eyes. "_Then why do you not wish to share that with your __**K'norfka?**__ On Tameran, love is to be shared."_

"_Yes, I know," _Robin switched to Spanish, sighing out his exasperation. _"We've had this discussion too. I don't want to give him another reason to lecture me. I want to complete this mission and go home." _

"_What I really do not understand," _Starfire sniffled, _"is why he would be opposed to our relationship at all. He is your __**K'norfka**_; _would he not be happy for you?" _

Robin stalked away from Starfire and punched a door open without even trying the handle. "_No, he wouldn't. He'd see you as a distraction. He set his standards for me even higher than he set them for himself. That means crime fighting and training are the only things that should be in my life. Plus, we're on the same team. Another no-no. Not to mention I'm the leader; an even bigger no-no. Never mind that he's pulled all this shit himself."_ He punched another door, this time failing to open it.

Starfire pulled the door off the hinges. _"You have told me all of this. What I still do not understand is why it matters to you."_

"Because he's my_** K'nofrka!**_" Robin yelled. "Don't you care what Galfore thinks of you?"

Starfire visibly shrunk. _"Please do not shout at me."_

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Star…you're still confused because of the drug. Perhaps we should wait…"

"_YOU are the one who said we could have this conversation now. So I put this before you: Do you love me? Do you wish to be with me?"_

"YES!" Robin roared in English. "I just told you that!"

Starfire's eyes lit green. _"I asked you not to shout at me!"_

"Well, you're not listening very well!" Robin continued in English. "What else should I do?"

Starfire's eyes dimmed out and her shoulders slumped. "I do not know," she murmured in English. "I cannot make myself believe." She shuddered, utter uncertainty flooding through her as tears welled up and spilled over onto her cheeks.

Before she had a chance to try to compose herself, Starfire found herself being kissed. Not a little peck, either, a full-on, tongues probing, body grinding kiss. Robin's arms were around her back, crushing her against him and one of his knees was working between her legs. Starfire started; this was the last thing she expected. But after a moment, reflex and habit kicked in, and she returned the frenzied affection, digging her fingers into his back.

After what felt like forever and yet no time at all, Robin pulled back. "Is that convincing enough?"

Starfire blinked, a swirl of emotions and thoughts twisting through her mind and body. He did love her! But then, she had never _really_ doubted that. And he did want to be with her; he'd said so and, more importantly, shown her so. But still, she had harmed him. And even if that didn't matter to him, it mattered to her. Was there even a way to make this okay in her own mind?

Unsure of what to do, Starfire grabbed Robin and kissed him again. Robin quickly responded, running his hands up her back and squeezing her shoulders. It was glorious to feel his body against hers, but…

She pushed him away. This didn't feel right.

"Star?"

Starfire didn't understand. Yes, she had done something horrible, but they were _**Dpi'syr**_; meant to be. He did not seem bothered by what had happened. Perhaps…

Starfire fell to her knees at Robin's feet and bowed down, her forehead touching the floor, her hair spilling over her face. "You must forgive me," she begged. "You have every right and reason to reject me, but please, without you I am not complete…"

"Starfire, get up," Robin told her, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"No," Starfire insisted firmly. "We cannot continue unless you forgive me."

Robin sighed and knelt down beside her. "Star, whatever you did, or think you did, it's alright. We're both fine. If anything, I should be asking forgiveness from you."

Starfire shook her head, still facing the floor. "I have harmed you."

"But I've harmed you, too." Robin reached through her curtain of hair and palmed her chin, guiding her to look up at him. "Don't you see?" He switched back over to French, the language they reserved for their alone times. _"I've harmed your heart. That's far worse than anything you could ever do to my body."_

Starfire looked up, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. _"I am forgiven?"_

"_There's nothing to forgive. But if you must be, yes, I forgive you. Can you forgive me for treating you so poorly while we've been here?"_

Starfire's eyes wavered for a long few moments as the indecision in her belly slowly faded and a smile crept onto her face. "_All you ever needed to do was ask. I could never leave you; we are __**Dpi'syr.**__"_

Robin smiled back. "C'mon, get up. We need to get out of here."

Starfire climbed to her feet and smiled. _**"Yphryjrt,"**_ she said. "Together."

* * *

_Well, it took a while, but I think I finally found my way back to the character stuff that I really like writing. (I gotta stop writing about superheroes...they've got all this nasty action you have to write...) No promises anything's gonna go any faster, but I do have a bit of a clearer vision of where I'm going from here, so, with a little luck..._

_Thanks again to everybody for their patience! I wish I could just spend all day writing and get everything up as soon as it came into my head, but, well, the cat needs to eat (he insists upon it; trust me)._

_Oh, and hey! Isn't awesome the Titans are coming back? Not in quite the same fashion, but I can't wait!_

_The muse lives for your reviews!_


	32. Leaving Clues

_Teen Titans belong to DC Comics. I am SO not them._

_Chapter 32: Leaving Clues_

_by Lelila_

Beast Boy continued following Batman through the ducts of Fredo's warehouse. They travelled mostly in silence, giving Beast Boy time to look around a bit. Every room seemed to be the same. They twisted and turned a lot as they went; Beast Boy had to turn into a homing pigeon a few times to get his bearings.

Unexpectedly, Batman paused. "What is it?" Beast Boy whispered.

"The door," Batman rasped. "It's been blown open."

Beast Boy turned back into a rat and scrambled up onto Batman's shoulder, peering through the grate the Dark Knight had stopped in front of. Squeaking excitedly, he hopped down and turned back into a human. "That's a Starfire blast!"

"Hmmm," Batman acknowledged. "It looks like it came from the other side, which means she came in that way." He paused, examining the room. "Where would she have gone from here? And how?"

There was a long heavy pause and Beast Boy could almost hear the World's Greatest Detective thinking. He finally screwed up enough courage to suggest: "One of the doors could have been unlocked?"

"I was considering that," Batman replied. "I've scanned the room with infrared and several other sensors, but can't tell which way she went."

"Maybe I can smell her," Beast Boy proposed.

Batman turned his head in Beast Boy's direction. "How are you going to do that without being spotted?"

"I could turn into a moth," Beast Boy explained. "They have awesome senses of smell; better than dogs. A moth shouldn't bug anybody. Get it? _Bug_ anybody?"

"Very punny," Batman said flatly, almost Raven-like. "But, a good idea. Go for it."

Beast Boy beamed. Again the Batman had liked his idea. He'd have to throw that in Robin's face the next time the Boy Wonder told him he was being stupid.

Still, he wanted to prove himself for more than just bragging rights. He wanted to prove that he knew his friends, and to keep Batman from hurting them, which he had said he would do if he had to.

Changing into a small, common moth of the Gotham area, Beast Boy fluttered out into the room. Instantly his antennae were assaulted with odors: construction adhesive, sweat, someone's spilled coffee, ozone from the door Starfire blasted, and…Starfire and Robin.

Robin!

He flew around and around, collecting as much scent as he could. Yes, Robin and Starfire had definitely both been here, and they had been together. The "Love Hormone" they both exuded when they were together was pretty strong. There was also very little doubt which door they'd gone through; their scents were almost non-existent by the other two.

Fluttering back to the vent, he couldn't change fast enough to tell Batman what he'd found. "Robin!" he nearly spat. "Robin was with her!"

"You're certain?" Batman interrogated. "How do you know they were together?"

"Cuz…" Beast Boy hedged. He'd practically blown it once tonight; he didn't want to do it again. "Cuz their scents were the same strength. If they'd not been together, one would have been weaker than the other."

Batman nodded silently. "Which way did they go?"

"Through the far door," Beast Boy gestured. "It wasn't long ago."

"How far do you think they've gotten?" Batman asked.

Beast Boy panicked a second. He hadn't thought to check for that. "Ummm…not very," he finally made an educated guess. "Their scents were pretty strong."

"Could you tell if they were in any trouble?"

Beast Boy was puzzled. "How…would I know that?"

"Did you smell any fear hormones?"

"Err…" Quickly, Beast Boy turned into a bloodhound and stuck his nose through the vent. After several deep sniffs, he turned back. "I think Star was kind of afraid, but Robin seemed more…mad."

Batman showed no reaction, merely paused for a long moment and then headed off in the direction Beast Boy had indicated.

Something about Batman's demeanor bothered Beast Boy. Despite the Dark Knight's outward calm, there was something in the air…it was like he was spoiling for a fight. Beast Boy frowned. If it was Starfire he was after, this was going to get very nasty. Not only would Robin do his best to kick his former mentor's ass, Beast Boy would do his best to help; not to mention that Starfire could probably take him out in one punch if she really wanted to. And if it was Robin he was after… this could become a real melee. Beast Boy resolved to do his best to keep that from happening as he turned back into a rat and scampered after Batman.

TtTtTtT

"Robin," Starfire asked after they'd gone through several rooms in silence. "Are you aware of our location?"

"I think so." He frowned, then stopped walking.

"Robin?" Starfire queried again.

Robin shut his eyes and slowly turned through 360 degrees. "Dammit!" he cursed as he returned to his starting position. "I think we've been going in circles."

"Perhaps you should vary the algorithm that you are using to plot our path," Starfire suggested.

Robin grinned in spite of himself. "You must be feeling better; you're talking like a dictionary again."

Starfire smiled, nodding. "My confusion has lessened greatly."

"And you knew we were walking in circles," Robin frowned.

Starfire hedged; she didn't want Robin to feel down on himself. "I had…'the hunch.'"

She felt the anger roll off of Robin, but it quickly lightened and his mouth turned up slightly. "Don't be afraid to tell me your hunches, Star. They're usually right."

Starfire beamed. Robin had said that he should listen to her more often on several occasions, but this was the first time he encouraged her to tell him her thoughts on strategy.

Robin puffed out a breath. "So. How should we go about this? My idea of following one wall certainly isn't working. Hmmm," he rubbed his chin in thought. "We could go one wall further than we should. That should take us in a spiral pattern."

"But will we be heading towards the center or the edge?" Starfire asked.

Robin clenched his jaw in thought. "I'm not sure. I guess we'll find out as we go." He smiled sheepishly. "Unless you have a better idea?"

"I believe it is a good plan, Robin," Starfire reassured him. "I am certain that together we will find our way out. "

Robin picked up Starfire's hand again. "Alright then: new plan, spiral pattern. Let's go."

They started off as they had before, counting off an extra wall whenever they had to decide between exits. "Do you perceive that we have broken the circle?" Starfire asked after they'd been through several rooms.

"Ummm…" Robin pondered. "I think so. I think we've taken a left turn we didn't before."

They continued in silence for several more rooms, holding hands the entire way. Starfire was unsure how to feel about that. Part of her was elated; she still did not feel quite right and was happy to have him showing her comfort and guiding her. But another part of her was very unsure: it was quite clear they were being surveilled, and since Robin couldn't even bring himself to tell Batman about their relationship, why was he okay with strangers – probably criminals – finding out?

Starfire had almost screwed up enough courage to ask him about it when he stopped suddenly, his hand stiffening in hers. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

Starfire listened. There was a low hum in the air, but she had dismissed that as the HVAC system in the building. "For what am I listening?" she asked after a long moment.

"That electronic buzz," Robin replied. "It wasn't there before."

Starfire listened a bit more intently. The hum did seem to have a buzzy quality to it, not unlike an old-fashioned radio that was on but not receiving anything. "I believe I hear it," she said after a few moments. "But what is its source?"

Robin's lips thinned into a line. "I don't know. But I think it's coming from that direction." He indicated his right and headed off that way, pulling Starfire with him.

He stopped at the door on that wall, but didn't try to open it or knock it down. Instead, he pressed his ear against it. After a moment, Starfire joined him. The buzzing noise increased in volume, but Starfire could still not ascertain its source.

After a few moments, Robin dropped Starfire's hand and backed up a few steps. "We need to get in there."

Starfire tried the knob on the door and found it locked. She fired a starbolt through it. The door swung open, revealing a large, well-lit room with a pedestal at its center. "Robin," Starfire said breathlessly. "That is the totem!"

They walked slowly into the room, circling the relic. "This is what you saw before?" Robin asked.

"I believe so," Starfire replied.

The totem sat high above them; the pedestal had to be nearly fifteen feet tall. "Do you think you can fly up and get it?" Robin asked.

Starfire looked between Robin and the totem. She was feeling much better, but flight? Joy was not an emotion she could muster at the moment. "I…I do not think so. I am sorry, Robin."

"It's okay," Robin said absently as he examined the room. "I'm sure we can find another way up there."

Robin took a few steps towards the pedestal, reaching out a hand to touch it. The air crackled the closer he came to it. Starfire become more and more nervous the louder the sound became. "Robin…." she sputtered out of fear.

Robin's fingertips had barely touched the column before the alarm started to blare. "Robin!" Starfire screamed, rushing to push him away from the pedestal.

They landed on the floor several yards away, Robin knocked unceremoniously onto his behind and Starfire skidding on her stomach next to him. "You alright?" Robin gasped, his eyes darting around looking for the source of the alarm.

Starfire pushed herself up to sit on her knees. "I believe I am undamaged."

"Good." Robin grabbed her arm as the alarm suddenly cut out. Starfire looked up at him; his brow was furrowed and his lips were pressed into a thin line. "I don't like this," he said in a low voice.

A rumbling, chuckling laugh seemed to originate from everywhere and nowhere. "Well, well , Little Bird," a voice boomed. "I see you found your girlfriend. And my totem."

"That totem belongs to the people of Gotham!" Robin sneered.

The voice chuckled again. "Silly Birdie…the totem belongs to whoever can control it…and as I told you, I finally have figured out how."

"Controlling it…for what purpose?" Starfire asked softly, directing the question to Robin.

"Why, to control Gotham, of course." Another mocking chuckle. "She may be cute, but she's not very bright, is she Robin?"

Robin growled and Starfire felt his hand tighten around her bicep. "You leave her out of this!"

"She's already in it," the voice snapped. "You're the one who brought her along."

Starfire climbed to her feet. "I am Robin's teammate," she told the room. "I came of my own free will."

The voice clucked. "Tsk, tsk…your free will is going to be your demise."

The totem's pedestal began to shudder. Robin was instantly on his feet next to Starfire. "What are you doing, Fredo?" Robin shouted.

"What I've planned to do all along," Fredo growled. "Eliminate my biggest obstacles. I intended to get both you and Batman at the same time, but I'll just have to settle for getting the rodent later."

The wobbling pedestal began to sink into the floor. "Goodbye, Little Birdie," Fredo mocked. "I hope you and your girlfriend are very happy together…IN HELL!"

Starfire saw Robin tense beside her, angry at Fredo's words and spoiling for a fight. She knew he just wanted to hit him. But before she could figure out what to say to him or how to help, she saw something crackle and spark out of the corner of her eye. She edged closer to Robin, her eyes darting to the edges of the room.

The room began to dissolve, or so it seemed. The colors on the wall receded like an ocean wave and the totem and its column began to fade away.

"It's a hologram!" Robin exclaimed. "This whole place is one big hologram!"

Fredo's nasty laugh filled the room again. "Not the whole place…" To their horror, the visage of the totem morphed into a bomb.

"Where is it, Fredo?" Robin demanded. "How long until it goes off?"

Fredo cackled. "I doubt you'll be able to find it in time, even though it is in the building with you."

"You'd blow up your own building?" Robin asked, incredulous. "Right after you'd built it?"

"That was the plan all along! This whole dock is nothing but one big vermin trap!"

Robin and Starfire exchanged looks.

"Go ahead and try to find it, Bird Boy," Fredo mocked. "It won't matter. This entire section of the dock will be gone by tomorrow morning."

Robin grabbed Starfire's hand, pulling her from the room.

"You can run, Little Birdie, but you can't hide!" Fredo's voice called after them.

"Robin, we should flee this structure!" Starfire said in a loud whisper as he slammed the door in the next room.

Robin shook his head. "We've got to find that bomb. Taking out this whole section of the dock could put half the city in danger from flooding."

Starfire nodded silently. She wanted nothing more than to find a way out; make a way out if necessary. But Robin was right; the whole reason they were here was to protect the city, even if that meant the mission itself had changed. "How do we proceed?"

Robin heaved a great sigh and squeezed her hand. "I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way. And since we don't know when the bomb's supposed to go off…"

Starfire swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I understand, Robin."

They spoke a few moments about what directions they were going to take. Then Robin slipped his hand from hers, hooking their pinkies together. "If we don't…" He trailed off, squeezing her pinky tightly with his. "If we don't find each other, we'll meet back at the Batcave," he finally said, his voice tight.

Sensing that Robin wanted to say something else, Starfire prompted him. "Very well. Is…there anything else you wish for me to know?"

"I…" his voice cracked. "If we don't…" he repeated. Suddenly he grabbed her and kissed her again, like he had when they'd first found each other tonight, hard and frenzied. "I love you," he said breathlessly as they parted. "No matter what happens, remember that."

Starfire kissed him as fiercely as he had kissed her. _"__**Yr sefte, Dpi'syr,"**_she said. "With every fiber of who I am, I love you, and I will always love you."

Robin pulled her into a tight hug for the briefest of moments before releasing her and stepping away. "I'll see you soon," he said.

"Yes," she answered, feeling the sting of tears forming behind her eyes. "Very soon."

Robin backed away from her a few steps, his gaze locked intently on hers. Reluctantly, he turned and jogged through the far door.

Starfire stood still for a moment, a mix of emotions washing through her. They had separated facing possible death many times before, but this felt different somehow. It was if, because he'd stopped keeping their relationship a secret, Robin had signed his own death warrant.

She felt the anger and resolve rise in her throat. She would _not_ allow him to die because of their relationship. She would show him that sharing their love with the world was an asset. First, she would get rid of this bomb. Then, she would find him again.

* * *

_There I go again with the cliffhanger! I just love doing that __(snicker). Issues will be resolved soon..._

_Yes, I know I take forever to update. But I swear to you, I do write at least a little nearly every day. And to prove it, I've set up a Twitter account and I'm going to tweet the rest of the story as it's written! I will still post cleaned up edited versions of the finished chapters here, don't worry. But if you just can't wait (and no promises on when the next chapter will go up), follow me on Twitter at OZLelila. You should see something in the next few days!_

_And if you like my stuff, also follow my friend at sdotsuzanne. She writes original fic, but it's awesome!_


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